Wayward Sons
by Admiral Byzantium
Summary: An alternative to Caretaker: "I'm afraid, dear Tain, the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves." What if Gul Evek had come along for the ride?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Star Trek universe, nor do I honestly own this plot – I got the idea from someone else. In the end, though, it all belongs to Gene Roddenberry (and the guys who own the copyright, whoever they are). I'm merely an amateur playing in it for my own amusement – this time, because I thought it might be interesting. I also don't own any song lyrics – they belong to the band Kansas.

**Wayward Sons**  
Admiral Byzantium

**Act One**

_Once I rose above the noise and confusion  
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion  
I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high.  
Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man  
Though my mind could think I still was a mad man  
I hear the voices when I'm dreaming  
I can hear them say:_

**Chapter One**

Garak's hands moved confidently, weaving over the pair of trousers that Dr. Bashir had left for him to adjust several days before. His back was towards the entrance of his shop, sitting on the promenade of Deep Space Nine. Outside he could hear the normal commotion of the mid-afternoon rush, but he was reluctant to go outside. A Cardassian warship, the _Vetar _under Gul Evek, had docked at the station. Garak had decided to exercise the better part of valor and remain safely inside his shop. Ever since his exile, his fellow Cardassians had not been particularly friendly. That was understandable, he supposed, given the rumors that had circulated the Obsidian Order and the Cardassian Guard. They were all lies, of course, invented by the former head of the Order, Enabran Tain, to explain away Garak's sudden departure.

Behind him, he heard footsteps in the doorway. Their weight was too heavy to be a Federation or Bajoran officer, but they were definitely military. His eyes rose from the pants under his hands, glancing towards the concealed mirror that gave him a view of the entrance. The figure was motionless, blocking the entrance. He stood just far enough away to avoid having his face revealed, although the Cardassian breastplate was obvious. Garak's hand moved subtly down to his waist, confirming the reassuring presence of his concealed phaser.

"Hello, Garak," the figure spoke. Garak recognized the voice from the old days. Curious, he returned his gaze back to the mirror. The breastplate was of the Cardassian Guard, not the Obsidian Order. He paused a second before responding, considering the consequences of that fact. Before the pause could become long enough to draw suspicion, he drew an impressive and obvious breath.

"Since when did the Obsidian Order plant spies in the Cardassian Guard? You should be more careful about with whom you speak. Some of us still recognize an agent when we see one and I would have little compunction about informing the Central Command about your obvious and _completely_ illegal breach of protocol." Garak had barely managed to get out the final words before he saw the figure move in the mirror. He slid the pants and sewing equipment forward quickly before his face slammed into the table before him. The hand on his back slid down to his waist and removed the hidden phaser, while a second wrapped around his neck.

"You do and I wouldn't hesitate to kill you, Garak. The Order has been merciful and has let you live. You have proven _useful _on a number of occasions, but you are expendable. Never forget that."

Garak barked out a laugh, or as much of one as he could with an arm wrapped around his throat. "I rather like you like this. Once one of the Order's youngest agents, one of the most arrogant men I had ever had the _pleasure_ of serving with, and just look at you now. Wearing that low-level uniform, spying on our own people. Though it suits you more than your former position ever did, I have to say. We were always too good to you. You were always trying to work above your head, to know more than you needed to know. I'm glad you have found yourself working such an unenviable assignment, having to take orders from members of the Guard who I'm sure you still detest. It's appropriate."

Garak's head slammed back into the table. In his ear, the figure whispered, "And look at you, Garak. You're a tailor living on a Bajoran space station. How the mighty have fallen – once you were the chosen of Enabran Tain himself. The heir to the throne of the Obsidian Order. Now you're an exile, forever banished from Cardassia, from your honor, your duty, you position – everything that made you Cardassian is lost to you."

Garak's face contorted under the pressure. He rasped out, "Except my pride. Something you seem to have lost." The man behind him snarled, throwing Garak across the room. He fell into a heap on the floor.

"Know this, Garak. When the Order takes it's proper place at the head of Cardassia, above the fools in the Guard and the Central Command, I will look back upon this moment and I will laugh, for you could have led us all. Instead you are here." Garak heard the heavy footsteps march towards the door, then stop. "The Obsidian Order is better off without you than with you, Garak. You were always too concerned with what was best for Cardassia. You never did learn that whatever is best for the Order _is _best for Cardassia. Remember that when our people are returned to their glory."

As he departed, Garak returned to his feet. He picked up the discarded phaser and returned it to its place concealed on his belt, then turned back to Dr. Bashir's pants and resumed his sewing. "He hasn't changed a bit in all these years," Garak murmured. "Talek is still as stupid and impetuous as ever. I knew I should have had him killed when I had the chance."

* * *

Captain Kathryn Janeway hated Deep Space Nine. It wasn't the crew, or the inhabitants, or the activities constantly taking place on the promenade that would have been illegal on most Federation worlds. It was the architecture. She had fought Cardassians during the last war, fought them before the war with Owen Paris, and been involved in several skirmishes on the border throughout all that time. She had been a prisoner of war and had taken prisoners of war. This Cardassian-built monstrosity reminded her too much of the past. Glancing around as she strode through the habitat ring on her way to see Commander Sisko, she forced down her apprehension. _This isn't a Cardassian detention center; it's a Federation starbase. Relax, Kathryn._

Arriving at Sisko's quarters, she pressed the door buzzer and waited. The door slid aside and a young man, sixteen maybe, was standing across from her. He quickly appraised her, taking in the red uniform and the four pips adorning her collar. "Captain Janeway?" He asked. She nodded, and he extended his hand. "I'm Jake Sisko, Commander Sisko's son. My father is inside, preparing dinner. We've been expecting you," he said. All her tension evaporated as she walked inside and heard the distinct sounds of someone working in the kitchen. She grinned at Jake, who ushered her over to the couch and let her sit.

A short time later Commander Sisko emerged from the kitchen, balancing a pair of dishes precariously. "Come here and give me a hand, will you Jake?" he asked. His son grabbed one of the dishes and set it down on the kitchen table. Sisko reached out to hand him a second and Janeway intercepted it, grasping the dish with two hands. Sisko glanced at her as they both set down what they were holding. He quickly wiped his hand with a rag, then extended it to Janeway. "Captain Janeway, it's a pleasure to meet you. You know, you don't have to help us set up dinner – it _is _in honor of your presence. It's not often we have a brand-new starship on her first assignment going through the station and we're thrilled to have you aboard."

Janeway grinned broadly and waved his concerns away. "I've always been a bit of a hands-on officer, Commander, and that's not about to change just because Starfleet has decided to give me a shiny new starship." She glanced down at the food before them. "So tell me, Commander, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

Sisko began to gesture to the food but was interrupted as his combadge beeped. He sighed and rolled his eyes a bit at Janeway, who bit back a laugh, then tapped it. "What do you need, Major?"

_"Commander, Gul Evek has come aboard and wants to speak with you before the _Vetar_ departs. He's asking questions about _Voyager_, the Federation starship that just docked,"_ said Major Kira from Ops.

Sisko sighed, and then shrugged. "Tell him I'll be happy to meet with him after dinner is complete and, if he wishes…" he glanced at Janeway who nodded, "_Voyager's _captain will also attend the meeting. Between the two of us I'm sure we'll be able to satisfy any of his immediate concerns." He tapped his badge to prevent Kira from saying anything more. "Now Captain, let us eat and talk before someone else decides to interrupt dinner." The three of them ate for a while, sharing stories about old assignments and strange encounters. Janeway had never met Sisko before, but she rather liked the man. He seemed a fine officer and she suspected that, given time, she would call him a friend. _Besides, it's been a long, long time since I've had a meal that wasn't replicated. I'd almost forgotten what it was like._

The buzzer for the door rang in the middle of Janeway's story about the time she had knocked out power on several decks of the _Al-Batani_, following a story of Sisko's about the time he served under Captain Leyton on the _Okinawa _where he'd accidentally locked himself and half a security team in the Captain's quarters after an ill-conceived practical joke. Sisko waved Jake over to get the door as Janeway told him that the gravity went offline _before _the water recyclers, leading to one hell of a mess in several crew quarters.

"Uh… Dad?" said Jake from the door. Sisko and Janeway stopped their laughter and turned towards the door. Behind Jake stood a Cardassian, one Janeway recognized. _Gul Evek, Cardassian Guard, Fourth Order. The head of the Cardassian efforts to stop the conflict between the Maquis and the Cardassian settlers in the new demilitarized zone. _

"Commander Sisko. I need to speak with Captain Janeway immediately," Evek stated harshly. Sisko glanced surreptitiously at Janeway, who nodded towards him that it was all right. He allowed Evek into the room and led him over to a chair where he sat. Janeway sat across from him. Sisko herded Jake out of their quarters, whispering something in his ear before he exited, then sat down with them.

"Gul Evek, may I introduce you to Captain Janeway, _Voyager's _commanding officer. Captain Janeway, this is Gul Evek of the Cardassian Guard, commanding officer of the Cardassian warship _Vetar._" He turned to Evek. "Does this need to be said in private, or am I permitted to stay?" he asked.

"You can stay, Commander. Nothing that will be said here will be classified." He reached into a pocket on his breastplate, removing an isolinear chip that he reached over and handed to Janeway. She eyed it cautiously, before looking back at Evek. He met her gaze levelly. "That chip contains new orders for you, Captain. You will receive them through your own proper chain of command in the next few hours, but I thought I should brief you on our assignment before that since we will be departing shortly."

Janeway's brain froze for a second. Slowly, one eyebrow rose. "I wasn't aware, Gul, that the Cardassian Guard was in a position to give orders to Starfleet captains," she said dryly. "Maybe you had better explain what all this is about, since I already have orders from Starfleet command and they don't mention your presence except to say something about your ship being crippled while in pursuit of the Maquis raider that I have been ordered to apprehend."

Evek met her glare levelly. "The _Vetar _will be accompanying _Voyager _into the Badlands, and two of the officers aboard the Maquis vessel will be turned over to Cardassian custody once they have been apprehended. The Cardassian government has agreed to allow the rest to be detained by the Federation for trial, but we want the ship's captain, a former Starfleet commander by the name of Chakotay, and a Bajoran terrorist named Seska."

Janeway turned the chip over in her hands. "Starfleet Command has agreed to extradite these two individuals to your custody? Why?" she asked.

"That is none of your concern. I expect you will follow out your orders as stated without question," Evek said. He stood. "I've become familiar with your file, Captain. I understand you served on the _USS Al-Batani _during the wars between our peoples and were a combatant in many of the battles that took place in the new demilitarized zone during that time. I wonder, were you present at the Battle of Ronara Prime, when the _Al-Batani _and the _Thomas Paine _engaged and destroyed three Cardassian warships?"

Janeway's earlier tension suddenly returned. She _had_ been present at Ronara Prime, as a lieutenant serving on the _Al-Batani_. It had been relatively early in her career, although after her incarceration by the Cardassians. She remembered the engagement very well – it had been one of the most decisive victories of the war. The frigate _Thomas Paine _under Captain Rixx had confronted the Cardassian warships approaching Ronara, as it was a world under Federation jurisdiction. Which ship fired first she didn't know, but Rixx had led the Cardassians into an ambush behind one of Ronara Prime's largest moons, where the _Al-Batani _had emerged from hiding and opened fire. The battle had been short and brutal. "Yes, I was. I was the operations officer aboard the _Al-Batani_."

Evek nodded slowly, then turned to leave. Janeway's curiosity got the best of her. "May I ask why you wanted to know, Gul Evek?" she asked.

Evek didn't turn around, but continued to walk until Sisko's door slid open and he was standing in it. Then he spoke slowly. "I lost two sons at Ronara Prime, Captain," he said. Then his footsteps took him out of Sisko's quarters and the Cardassian-style door slid shut behind him. Janeway let out a breath and shook her head, settling deeper into the chair. Sisko stood and walked over to a cabinet in his kitchen, reached out and grabbed a bottle. He filled two glasses, then returned and handed one to Janeway. She took a sip and was taken aback by the strength of the drink. She glanced up at Sisko, who sat nursing his own glass.

"Saurian brandy, Captain. I thought maybe we needed some." Janeway nodded, and she sighed.

"You know, Commander, I haven't had to deal with Cardassians for a long time. I thought I'd finally gotten over my apprehensions and fears, but maybe I haven't." She turned. "Did you serve in the Cardassian wars?" she asked.

Sisko shook his head. "Only peripherally. I wasn't at a battle like Ronara Prime or Setlik III – I did fight the Tzenkethi on the _Okinawa _and am a survivor of Wolf 359 – but I never fought the Cardassians. Since arriving here I've dealt with them quite a bit, but it hasn't come to open fighting."

Janeway stared into her brandy. "I served aboard the _Al-Batani _for many, many years, Commander. On my first assignment, I was just out of the academy shortly before the war broke out, I was captured by the Cardassians with Admiral Paris. It was an eye-opening and extremely frightening experience – if we hadn't been rescued as early as we were, I'm not sure I would ever have recovered. Later we fought them for years, in skirmishes on the border and then in open fighting, like at Ronara. Sometimes I'm still haunted by old memories." She gestured to him. "I'm sure you're still haunted by Wolf 359." Sisko nodded. "So I sympathize with the Maquis, at times. I don't agree with their methods, but I respect their cause."

It was Sisko's turn to stare into the brandy. "My best friend in Starfleet, Cal Hudson, defected to help found the Maquis. Gul Evek was on the other side of the table back then, and it seems he still is. Cal accused me and the Federation of abandoning our colonists." He took a sip. "Captain, there's something that I learned in combat, and it's a lesson I'm sure you learned too. There are times when peace comes with too high a price and war is the only answer – but war always comes with too high a price. For everyone."

Janeway nodded. "I don't like Evek. I don't know what his agenda is. But if working with him to subdue a terrorist cell is the price of avoiding paying the cost of war, then I'll willing to pay that price." She sighed. "It's just another dark spot on my soul, Commander. They're the price of command."

Sisko raised his glass. "I'll drink to that."

* * *

Janeway strode onto the bridge of _Voyager _the next morning. Commander Cavit stood and handed her a padd with various bits of information, and she nodded and thanked him. At ops stood Ensign Harry Kim, fresh out of the academy. She thought back to her first assignment out of the academy – one that had ended with her being a Cardassian prisoner – and decided that she would make sure Mr. Kim's did not end up as poorly as her own. Standing above the command floor was Thomas Paris, her former captain's son, who she had convinced to come on this assignment with the lure of reduced sentence after his capture while working for the Maquis. She hoped fervently that she could find the young man his father had been so proud of in years past and redeem him. 

At tactical, Ensign Rollins was filling in for her oldest friend, Lieutenant Tuvok. She hadn't told Evek, and she suspected that Starfleet Command had neglected to mention it as well, but Tuvok was currently serving undercover aboard the Maquis ship they were pursuing and he was the real reason Starfleet was so desperate to capture it. In the meantime, Rollins would be an adequate replacement for Tuvok – she had selected him herself. And at helm was Lieutenant Stadi, a Betazoid, and one of the best pilots of her class at the academy. Someday, Janeway suspected, Stadi would make a fine captain in her own right.

"Very well, lets get underway. Mr. Kim, is the _Vetar _ready to depart?" Janeway asked, turning towards the operations station.

Kim nodded. "Yes ma'am, they've detached from DS9 and are awaiting our departure." Janeway acknowledged his response. "Captain, station operations is on the line for you," Kim said.

"Put them through, Ensign," Janeway said. On the line, Major Kira's voice came through.

_"Operations to _Voyager_, you are cleared for departure. Safe journey and good luck."_ Kira's voice was warm and reassuring.

"Thank you, Major. Thank Commander Sisko for dinner for me again, please. We'll be back in a few days," Janeway responded with a smile, and although Kira couldn't see her, Janeway suspected she knew it was there anyway.

_"Understood, _Voyager_. And the Commander really does know how to entertain, doesn't he? Kira out."_

Janeway turned towards Cavit. "Commander, contact the _Vetar _and inform them that we are preparing to depart and that they should follow behind." Cavit nodded. "Well, let's do it, people."

* * *

_Voyager_ disengaged from Deep Space Nine's docking pylon and slowly put distance between the ship and the station. Behind her, the Cardassian warship's engines powered up and followed behind in her footsteps. Both ships leapt into warp, journeying towards the Badlands, where the Maquis ship they were hunting had vanished. It took several hours, but they arrived at their destination. The faster and more maneuverable _Voyager _took point with the _Vetar _following behind as closely as it could to avoid the plasma storms – after all, the _Vetar _had been badly damaged by the Badlands while pursing the Maquis before _Voyager _had been dispatched. 

On the advice of Tom Paris, they plotted a course through the storm. Both ships made their way cautiously, but safely, as the plasma storm raged about them. Lieutenant Stadi guided _Voyager _ably through the streams. Suddenly, both ships were scanned by some kind of coherent tetryon beam. Neither crew knowing what to make of it, they both continued to search for the Maquis, but then suddenly both crews became aware of a massive displacement wave hurtling towards space towards the ships. _Voyager _and the _Vetar _both turned and moved away, but _Voyager's _more capable engines allowed her to put more distance as the slower and less maneuverable _Vetar _fell behind. Then the wave struck both ships. Each shook violently, systems overloading and blowing out. The _Vetar _took more of the brunt of the wave and was damaged much more severely than _Voyager, _but both ships were effectively out of commission.

Communications on both ships was down. Nearly a third of _Voyager's _crew was dead, but more than three-quarters of the crew of the _Vetar _had been fatally wounded. Those who were left struggled with their ships, trying to keep them intact. Eventually, both ships found themselves heavily damaged, but intact – and both crews looked out their windows to see a massive Array and stars that belonged to a part of the galaxy that was seventy-thousand light years away from their own.

Then, without warning, the crews of both ships vanished from their posts, leaving only one very confused hologram between them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Janeway materialized in the middle of a large room, lined with chairs. It was some kind of auditorium, she reflected, glancing around as the rest of her crew appeared in various places. On a stage in the front there was a large screen. Glancing upwards she noted a projector. _This technology is much too primitive to be related to whatever just snatched my crew away from _Voyager. _Is this some kind of holographic projection?_ Next to her, Lieutenant Joe Carey was slowly turning, getting the full picture of the room. They'd been together in Engineering when the crew had been taken, trying to ensure that the microfracture in the warp core wouldn't cause a breach.

"Just one floor, ma'am," he murmured. "It looks like most of the crew is here. And those flags on the stage… they look familiar for the most part, but I'm having trouble placing them." Janeway glanced back towards the stage herself. One of the flags she recognized – the now defunct flag of the old United States of America. She raced through her memories of 20st century Earth history, trying to place the others. Most of them she knew were from Earth's history, but there were a few that looked completely foreign.

She walked up the center aisle to where a group of her crew had congregated at the base of the stage. Tom Paris and Harry Kim were looking up, evidently trying to figure out where the flags were, the same as she was. "Look, Harry… that's the old flag of the USA. The one next to it is England. The others are other western states from the late 20th century. But some of these…" he gestured at the second half of the flags, including one of the most prominent ones, which stood next to the American flag, "…I simply don't recognize. I swear they're not from any Earth history I know."

Janeway interrupted. "I had come to the same conclusion, Mr. Paris," she said. She glanced towards the remainder of her crew. "Does anyone recognize these flags?" she asked. Most of the crew remained silent, although some whispered to one another. Janeway turned back to the flag and stared at it. There was something about it now that she recognized. It wasn't from her Earth history though, she knew that for sure.

The flag had a yellow background, a solid bright color that filled a solid box. Most of the box was filled by something that looked vaguely like a scorpion – it was a sickly green with a black outline. _That looks like a helmet, on the top of the symbol. Those sloping curves… almost like inverted wings… I know this symbol. Where do I know this symbol from? _Staring at the flag, it suddenly came to her. Her breath caught in her throat and the memory overwhelmed her for a second.

_She was in trouble. Her uniform, with the black shoulders and trousers and blue base separating them, was torn in several places. The combadge she carried had long since been confiscated, and she missed its reassuring presence on her chest. Her hand wandered up to her collar and she felt for the presence of her rank pip. It was still there, at least. And through the thin walls of her cell, Ensign Janeway heard Owen Paris screaming. _

_They'd been captured in one of the Al-Batani's shuttlecraft while doing some routine research for Janeway's first project out of the academy. They were near the border, and Janeway knew that tensions were high and rising – if nothing else, it was something her father had always been talking about at home while she was growing up – and she knew that Admiral Paris was out here for more than just scientific reasons. But she didn't know anything of real value._

_Janeway flinched as the screams momentarily grew in intensity, and then died back down. There was very little light in this chamber, but Janeway could see the walls and the locked door. She staggered to stand, crouching down, and stumbled over to the door. There was a symbol on the door, one that was familiar. Thinking back to her father's study, Admiral Edward Janeway had been intimately involved in the Federation's relationship with Cardassia. She knew the symbol of the Cardassian Union very well – it was shaped in the same style as their warships. A helmet on the top, with two black slits for eyes. Two bulges underneath, spreading out like a cobra. Then it narrowed to a slim point – on a Cardassian ship, the engines would be at that end._

_But this symbol, on the wall of her cell – it was not the symbol of the Cardassian Union. No… but it had the characteristics. It was like someone had taken the symbol she knew and carved out the middle – as if someone had removed the light and left only the shadow. That's what it was, her fogged mind realized – as if someone had taken the Cardassian Union emblem and held it up to the light, then adopted the shadow as their own._

"That's what it is," Janeway whispered, looking again at the flag. It didn't have the sloping end, and the cobra-characteristics weren't as defined. The details were different. The helmet lacked the slits for the eyes. She could see its Cardassian nature now, on the flag that stood next to an American flag up on the stage. It was essentially half of the Cardassian Union symbol. It wasn't like the symbol she had seen while in detention – it was more like the ones from her father's study. "It's Cardassian… a flag that belonged to a predecessor of the Cardassian Union, I think. It has to be." She glanced at Owen's son. Tom was looking at the symbol with renewed interest, and nodding steadily as he now saw it too. Suddenly, she glanced around the room once more. "Speaking of the Cardassians… where's Gul Evek and his crew?" she asked.

"At-ten-tion!" Most of Janeway's crew started as the voice blazed through the room. She glanced about. _A loudspeaker? Where'd that come from?_ As Janeway mused on the origin of the command, she began to hear footsteps. _Soldiers marching. This room… this is a representation of 20__th__ century Earth. The soldiers fit that timeframe, but that doesn't explain why there's a Cardassian flag on the stage. _Suddenly, from either side of the stage two groups of soldiers marched in, wearing old military uniforms. That didn't surprise her – it was to be expected, given the content of the rest of the room. But her eyes widened as she took in the soldiers. _Half of those men are Cardassians… wearing American uniforms?_

The soldiers had taken up residence on stage and were at-ease as another man walked in smoothly. He was an older figure in a military uniform, past middle-age, but who was in good shape. _A general's uniform, I think, _Janeway thought.In the back of the stage Janeway could see another man – one leaning heavily on a cane. He stayed in the shadows, analyzing and observing. Janeway suspected he was looking for something. She glanced away for a second to take in the rest of the men entering. When she glanced back, he was gone.

The General faced the crew of _Voyager. _"You may be seated," he said.

Janeway paused for a second, then sat. _For now, it's time to stay quiet and learn what the situation is. _Her crew followed her example, taking seats in the auditorium. The General watched and waited as they did.

"Welcome to the first unification conference between our own United States of America and the Soviet Union. I would be appreciative if you would refrain from calling the Russians 'commie bastards' for the duration of your stay – we're here to try to find a way to live with these people, not make war with them," the General said. Then he nodded to a booth above the back of the auditorium. On the screen that towered over the stage, a film began to play. The film recited the story of a history that Janeway was vaguely familiar with – although she suspected that the real Cold War didn't feature both Humans and Cardassians on either side.

Next to her, Tom pointed out things that weren't quite right about the history, even beyond the fact that Cardassians seemed to be playing a prominent role in the story, both as "Americans" and as "Soviets." Different things were wrong, he said – like open skirmishing between the two sides in Eastern Europe. The video came to a point which it called the Cuban Rebel Crisis – and Janeway watched intently as it told a history about how the Americans turned Cuba over to the Soviets in order to ensure that there would not be war, but the Cuban population revolted and almost created the very war they were all trying to avoid. Tom again pointed out that it had actually been the Cuban _Missile _Crisis, and that the events had been drastically different. Not to mention the emphasis on "unification," Tom said, something that never seriously crossed _anyone's _mind back during the late 20thcentury.

_Well, _she thought, _someone has clearly been looking into our historical database. They've turned this "Cold War" of Earth history into a scenario we're living right now, and created this scenario so that it parallels the situation created by the Treaty of 2370, with the Cubans as the Maquis, the Cardassians as the Soviets, and the Federation as the United States. _There was still one pressing question, however. _Why? And for that matter, where the hell are we, anyway?_

"Captain Janeway!" the General called as the projector flickered out, ending the video. "You have been selected as the American representative to the conference! Choose one person to accompany you, then come with me," he said. Then he turned military style and strode back from the direction he had come.

Janeway paused, then turned to Tom. "You're with me, Mr. Paris. I have a feeling I'm going to need the histories you've got stored away in that brain of yours about this time period, even though it doesn't seem to be quite what we remember it being," she said. Then she turned to Lieutenant Carey. "Mr. Carey, watch after the crew while we're away." Tom and Joe both nodded, and then Janeway and Paris walked up to the stage and climbed up to follow the path of the General.

As she exited through the door in the back of the stage, a man reached out from the shadows and caught her arm. Paris moved in to protect her, but she stopped him with a hand. She recognized this man – it was the old man with the cane, who had been stooped in the shadows earlier. She looked at him closely now. He was wearing an old suit and glasses, resting heavily on a black cane, but the fingers wrapped around her arm were not lacking in strength. "Here, Captain," he said. He released her arm and reached into a pocked in the breast of his jacket, then handed Janeway a small black box with a latch. She flipped it open, and inside was a red button and nothing else. "In case the price of peace is too high," he whispered, and then he vanished back into the shadows.

* * *

Janeway and Paris were led down a stark white corridor. At the end of it, two guards – one Cardassian, one Human – protected the doorway. As they approached, they moved to allow them entrance, and Janeway walked into a large conference room. There was a table with four chairs, two on either side. One wall featured a huge open window that overlooked a massive city. "It's Berlin," Paris murmured to her. "Sort of."

Behind them, the door on the other side of the conference room opened and in walked two men. One Janeway recognized instantly – it was Evek. "Gul Evek, I'm glad you're all right. This is Tom Paris, Starfleet observer on our mission to apprehend the Maquis," she said. Evek nodded once at Paris, and then each took their respective seats at the table. Janeway eyed her Cardassian counterpart – he had set a black box, like the one she carried, down on the tabletop. She did the same.

Evek gestured to his companion. "Captain, this is Glinn Talek, my executive officer from the _Vetar." _Talek nodded to her, then Evek cut to the chase. "It appears we are experiencing a historical fiction based on events from both of our worlds – events similar to the ones we are experiencing took place on Cardassia five hundred years ago, during the process that allowed for the creation of the Cardassian Union," Evek said.

Janeway rested her hands on the tabletop. "And this 'cold war' is a historical event from Earth, from about four hundred years ago – a conflict between the two most powerful nation states that almost erupted into open fighting, but which never ended up doing so. My question, however, isn't about the historical inaccuracies or the events. We're currently in an unspecified location, without contact with whoever or whatever has placed us here, and have been thrown together in order to forge a peace accord for a conflict that isn't even taking place."

Talek was nodding. "Gul, I agree with the Federation captain. Despite the curiosity of this situation our primary mission is to find a way to regain control of this situation, return to our ship, and then find our way back to Cardassian space with Chakotay and Seska," he said. "Our orders were very clear – it is crucial that we expedite this mission."

Evek frowned. He eyed Janeway uncomfortably, but responded positively. "I concur as well. Despite whatever the person behind this… illusion… is attempting to do, or convince us of, we each have missions that are of a more pressing nature, not the least of which is finding out how we got to the Delta Quadrant, why, and how to get back to complete our missions and return to our families." Janeway found herself in complete agreement with him – quite possibly the first time in her life she had completely agreed with a Cardassian about anything, she reflected.

Talek shrugged. "I believe I can get the attention of whoever is controlling this simulation," he said. Evek and Janeway both turned to him. Next to her, Paris eyed the Glinn uncomfortably.

Evek looked at his first officer. "Very well, you may proceed," he said simply. "We don't have time to sit around waiting for them to come to us. If you have an idea, we should try it."

Talek shrugged again and reached across the table to grasp the black box that Janeway had rested there, and then palmed Evek's as well. Janeway's eyes widened, but before any of them could react Talek pressed both buttons.

Startled, Janeway quickly rose to her feet, followed by Evek. Their eyes were filled with shared shock – and fear – and there was a flash in the window overlooking the city. Janeway spun towards it. Giant clouds mushroomed up into the sky, blackening out the sun. The ground began to shake and the window shattered, spraying glass into the conference room. Suddenly the door burst open and the General from before burst in. He started to scream something, but Janeway watched in shock as he just disappeared – vanishing into nothingness. Then the walls began to disintegrate. The ceiling and the floor – the holodeck that was producing this simulation was failing, Janeway realized. _It can't handle the strain of those explosions. I just hope the explosions are as illusionary as the rest of this scenario._

Then, finally, the conference room vanished, the projection splitting and collapsing around them. Janeway, Evek, Talek, and Paris were all standing in a small square room, lined with technology and painted a light blue. The shaking didn't stop when the projection faded – Janeway suspected the holographic explosion had done some real damage. Indeed, the rumbling carried on for several minutes – Janeway grasped one of the walls to keep her balance. _What was Talek thinking? _Janeway thought in amazement.

There was a door on one side of the room, and Paris inched forward and opened it. There was a long room beyond. Lining the walls were almost two hundred people, sedated and restrained in medical beds – people Janeway recognized. One was the renegade captain, Chakotay. Another was her missing tactical officer and friend, Tuvok. She recognized a number of Cardassians – Evek's crew, she realized. Then she saw Joe Carey and Harry Kim. "Oh my God," whispered Paris, his eyes scanning the seemingly endless line of unconscious men and women, lingering on Harry. "What are they doing to them?"

They inched down the corridor, lined with the prone bodies of the Cardassian, Maquis, and Federation crews. Each person was, thankfully, alive. At the end of the hall there was a simple door. Janeway opened it and walked in. Sitting in a large chair was the old man in the suit. The cane rested across his lap, and looking at him Janeway suspected that he was not well.

His eyes, though, blazed with a great fury. "You _imbeciles!" _he hissed. "I thought your peoples knew better! I thought you had evolved past the need to fight and war with one another for no reason but your own petty self interest. Not even the conflicts hundreds of years ago on your worlds resulted in that kind of destruction, and the more mature forms of your races go and make the same mistakes _over and_ _over again! _I was giving you a chance to see your conflict in a new light – a chance to look at the past and see what you did right in the past to guide the present – and you went and threw it away! Do you have any idea the damage you have done?" he roared. He stood, leaning on the cane, and continued to rage. "I have not enough time to deal with you! There is not enough time left! I must keep looking and you have just made my mission that much harder! _Do you KNOW what you've DONE?"_

The man was breathing heavily. "This is why I had to remain here. This is why I stay and I care for the peoples below. This is why my mission _must _be carried out. If I did not stay and care for Ocampa, other races like _you _and the Kazon would come and destroy them for no reason but you own lust for power. Men like _you," _he pointed the cane at Talek, "are the cause of more destruction than any other in this universe!"

He stopped and stared at Paris. "Men like you," he said slowly, "would follow men like him for lack of a better cause – for lack of a reason to live. Find one, young brat, or your life will end as it has begun."

He turned to Janeway. "You, dear Captain, need to put the past behind you. Your apprehension is as dangerous as their ambition. Fear has killed more people than anything else in this universe, and for what? For _what?"_ he growled.

Finally, he turned and pointed the cane at Evek. "And you, Gul Evek, would lose your last son as you lost the others," he said harshly. "You try so hard to keep your people strong and powerful, keep the Cardassia that you know in the place that you know… to take your 'rightful place' in the galaxy… but your misguided sense of duty will kill Veroz as surely as it killed Ghosar and Hogue."

Evek flinched as if he had been struck. "To a Cardassian," he whispered harshly, "there is nothing more important than family. All I've done is to _protect _my people, and by protecting Cardassia I protect my son. I protect _all_ our sons," he asserted.

The man ignored Evek's words and turned away to rest heavily on his cane. "Just get out of my sight. I don't have time to deal with the likes of you," he said tiredly. "There's just not enough time. And now, thanks to you, all my efforts may have been in vain."

Janeway tried to move, to take a step forward, but she faltered. Next to her, Evek was slowly sinking to his knees. Her consciousness fled, and Janeway fell to the ground to meet the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

When Janeway awoke, she was no longer on the Array. Staggering to her feet, she grasped the rail that surrounded the warp core in Engineering. Beside her, Lieutenant Carey was attempting to do the same. Once she had found solid footing, and had determined that she wasn't suffering from any lingering symptoms from… whatever had been done to them on the Array… she knelt down to give Joe a leg up. Once he was standing, Janeway patted him on the shoulder and set him off to work on getting _Voyager _back up to optimal, then she left Engineering and made her way to Sickbay.

It seemed to her, as she made her way through the corridors, that the damage to her ship was mainly cosmetic. Computer consoles that had overloaded were everywhere, but that was to be expected – the damage to the major systems was not nearly as severe. Despite her battered interior and exterior, _Voyager _was essentially combat-ready.

The same, she knew, could not be said for Gul Evek's _Vetar. _Janeway had lost a third of her crew, but while on the Array she had seen the Cardassian crew – and she had counted maybe forty people from a ship that normally staffed over two hundred. If the damage to the _Vetar's _systems was similarly severe, chances were that repairing the _Vetar _was an exercise in futility. _Well, _Voyager _was relatively understaffed to begin with, _Janeway thought. _Intrepid-class starships can carry up to two hundred themselves, but we were only carrying a hundred and fifty. We'll probably need more crewmen just to get the ship back up to her normal operating abilities. _The thought of integrating Cardassian crewmen into her own was not one that filled Janeway with optimism. _For now, lets focus on getting the ship back to the Alpha Quadrant. The Array brought us here; chances are the Array can get us home._

Janeway strode into Sickbay, where the holographic Emergency Medical Hologram was wandering about. When he noticed her arrival, his eyes lit up instantly. "Ah! Captain! Might someone care to tell me where you have all _been _for the last three days? And why the crew neglected to _turn off my program _when I was no longer needed?" Janeway grimaced. The EMH was a new experimental program, one that many members of Starfleet didn't quite approve of. Moreover, it was known for having an especially prickly bedside manner.

"We were on the Array, Doctor. Why, I don't know. How we got there, I don't know. And if we'd known we were about to be leaving, I'm sure someone would have taken the time to deactivate your program, as a courtesy to you," she said with a modicum of sarcasm. "Now, while we were over there some kind of medical procedure was performed on most, if not all, of the crew. I need to know if there will be any repercussions from it and, if possible, what that… Caretaker… was attempting to do."

"Well, if I had a medical staff, it might be easier. But I'll see what I can do." The EMH grabbed one of the medical tricorders and ran the examining unit over the Captain's body. When Paris came over to speak with her, he grasped him as well and ran the same series of scans. When he was finished, he grabbed another crewman and Paris let out an exasperated sigh before turning to speak with Janeway.

"Captain, Harry's missing."

Janeway looked up, shocked. She had assumed that all her crew had been returned – apparently that assumption had been mistaken. She grabbed Paris' arm and pulled him along, moving out of Sickbay on her way to take back command of the bridge. "Are you sure? Is anyone else missing along with Mr. Kim?"

Paris shook his head. He looked exceptionally worried – as was she. Just days before she had sworn to herself that she wouldn't let Ensign Kim's first assignment end as poorly as Ensign Janeway's had. Now, she hoped she would be able to make that declaration stand. "That was the first thing I checked, Captain. Harry's the only missing person. What I don't understand is why they'd take Harry in the first place."

Janeway didn't answer him as the turbolift rose up towards Deck One. Paris stood uncomfortably in the silence, then finally he opened his mouth to speak. "Captain… what the man on the Array said about me… he was right. I have nothing to fight for, and I never have. I've spent my life moving from one lost cause to another, looking for something that I could call me own, and when I finally found it at the Academy – when I realized I could pilot a ship better than anyone else – I threw it away with a stupid mistake that killed my friends. Having me here… it's a mistake."

Janeway cut him off, resting an arm on his shoulder. "Mr. Paris… Tom. One of the curses of youth is not knowing where to go, what to do, or how to act. When I first served under your father I wore a blue uniform, not a red one. I started in the sciences, then moved to command and somehow, along the way, I got certified in engineering. I made mistakes." Tom's eyes filled with pain, but Janeway continued on. "No, I never made a mistake quite as bad as the ones you have made in your life. But if there's anything I do believe in, it's giving people a second chance. I'm not doing this for your father, Tom. I'm doing it because I remember how he used to speak about you, his beloved son, and the potential I know you still have."

She took her hand off his shoulder, and the pain in his eyes receded to a level that she recognized and related to. "That said, Mr. Paris, if you let me down, I'll leave you on the most uninhabitable asteroid I can find out here." She met his eyes with a challenge. _I'm giving you a second chance, Tom. There won't be a third one, not from me, not from anyone. _"Now," she said, "Lets go find Mr. Kim, capture the Maquis, make nice with Evek, and get back to the Alpha Quadrant."

Paris nodded slowly. "Yes, ma'am," he said.

* * *

Janeway and Paris arrived on the bridge. Rollins was the only senior officer on station – several junior officers were working to get the place back up to normal standards, but most of the crew was elsewhere on the ship. She nodded towards Paris. "Take the Conn, Mr. Paris," she said. His eyes widened, but then he nodded once firmly.

"Yes ma'am," he said, slipping into the seat. He winced for a second, and then reached back to adjust the height to suit him better. Stadi hadn't been nearly as tall as Paris was. Janeway took a second to glance across the bridge. _Commander Cavit is dead. He was a good man, if a little stiff. And poor Stadi, the best pilot who ever served under me, a woman I was sure would command her own ship someday, will now never get the chance. Doctor Fitzgerald and his staff. Much of Engineering, including the Chief. _The second lingered into several as Janeway allowed herself this time to mourn. Then, she adopted the Captain's mask – the emotionless, stoic façade that many members of Starfleet unknowingly fell into using once they moved from three pips to four.

"Ensign Rollins, what's our status?" Janeway asked. Rollins moved into the Tactical station, working to get _Voyager's _sensors working. Then he glanced up as the viewscreen came back to life at his urging. On the screen, the Array loomed largest and most prominent, firing some kind of energy blasts down at the planet. _Ocampa, _Janeway thought. _The man on the array said he was caring for the Ocampa. Those energy blasts must be a means by which he does so. _But her attention was drawn away from the Array and the planet. The _Vetar _was savagely damaged; one wing of the ship had been torn away entirely. Janeway knew, looking at the damage, that the ship was as badly hurt as she had feared. Next to the _Vetar, _the Maquis raider was stirring back to life. "Mr. Rollins, try to get us into tractor beam range of the Maquis vessel," Janeway ordered hurredly. "And open a hailing frequency."

The Maquis ship's engines lit up and the ship turned quickly away from _Voyager, _moving at impulse towards the planet. Janeway watched, _Voyager _lumbering in pursuit. "Com channel open, Captain," said Rollins.

"Maquis raider _Val Jean, _this is the Federation starship _Voyager _under Captain Kathryn Janeway. You are ordered to heave to and surrender your vessel," Janeway commanded over subspace. The Maquis ship didn't heed her instructions – Janeway suspected it would not. If the Cardassians were not here, she might have stood a better chance of negotiating, but with them present she lost any credibility she might have had. "Janeway to _Val Jean, _I repeat, you are ordered to surrender."

Rollins perked up behind her at tactical. "Captain, the _Vetar _is hailing us," he said. Janeway only took a second to glance at him before turning back to the chase.

"Tell Evek I'm a little busy at the moment," Janeway muttered. On the viewscreen, the Maquis vessel swung behind Ocampa and out of line of sight with _Voyager. _At the helm, Paris poured on all the speed Engineering could spare, and _Voyager _raced in pursuit. As they turned around the planet, Janeway expected the Maquis vessel to come back into sight – but the ship was gone. "Where'd they go, Ensign?" Janeway asked.

"I… don't know, ma'am. They must have gone to warp, but I'm not detecting an ion trail," said Rollins. "Evek is hailing again," he said. Janeway sighed.

"Put him through," she said.

On the viewscreen, the pale face of Gul Evek popped into existence. "Captain Janeway, Glinn Talek has gone missing. Is he aboard your vessel?"

Janeway's eyes widened in surprise. _So, Harry isn't the only one to go missing today. _"No, Gul, although an officer of mine – Ensign Kim – has also gone missing,"

Evek nodded. "Captain, you should pursue the Maquis raider, as your vessel still has warp capability. We will remain here in orbit and find the missing crewmen," Evek said.

Janeway didn't like it. _Didn't I swear I wouldn't let Harry's first mission end up like mine? Right now it looks like it'll end _exactly _like mine – in the hands of the Cardassians, waiting for rescue. _As the thought passed through her mind, she immediately felt guilty for it. Evek had been nothing but honorable thus far, despite the rather rash decision by his XO to blow up the holographic simulation on the Array. The Caretaker's suggestion – almost commandment – to stop fearing the Cardassians because of the unfortunate incidents of her youth returned to her mind, as did her words to Commander Sisko. _I don't have to like him, but he's given me no reason not to trust him. If there's to be peace between our peoples, someone has to take the first step. _"All right. You find out what happened to our people, I'll find and capture the Maquis," Janeway agreed.

Evek nodded once. "_Vetar _out," he said, ending the transmission.

* * *

When the Obsidian Order had recruited her, all those years ago, Seska had volunteered willingly. All Cardassians did whatever they could – whatever was necessary – to serve their people. A role in the civil government was something that almost everyone had, in one way or another. She had resigned herself to a small job – a bureau clerk, a secretary. Maybe, if she was lucky, she would find a job as an engineer and be recruited into the Cardassian Guard. That had been her dream as a young woman.

Being offered a position in the Obsidian Order was something that was entirely out of the blue. The Order worked from the shadows of Cardassian policy, a constant counter to the efforts of the Guard. Prohibited from owning military equipment of any kind, they made their impact in other ways – intelligence, interrogations, bribes, all the things that had to be done outside of the official channels, while the Guard owned the ships and the men. The opportunity she had been given had been one of a lifetime – a chance to become more than a clerk more than an engineer, more than she had ever imagined herself being.

Now, after so many years wearing a face that was not her own, she sometimes forgot she was a Cardassian at all. The ridges on her nose, the lack of the scales which should have adorned her shoulders… the pride of her accomplishments had long since fled, weighed down by the pressures of her position. She was a spy, tasked by the Obsidian Order long ago to infiltrate the Bajoran resistance movement. She spent the last years of the occupation working her way up the ranks, fighting to find that one piece of information that would be valuable to her superiors – that would be worth breaking her façade and give her back her own face. Something, _anything_, just to bring her home.

Then the occupation had ended. Her position was valuable – she had never been discovered, and despite the official correspondence between Cardassia and Bajor, something that her superiors feared would someday lead to peace between the two ancient enemies, the Order had left her in place. The Bajoran ridges still adorned her nose and her scales still refrained from growth. She had suspected, at first, her job would be to find a way to sabotage the still infantile peace process between Bajor and Cardassia. Instead, she had been ordered to join the Maquis.

So now she found herself here, on the ancient Maquis fighter _Liberty, _seventy thousand light years further away from her home. But for the first time in years Seska felt something other than barely restrained rage and frustration – for the first time since she had taken on her role as a spy and been given this face, Seska had hope. For the Federation starship that had pursued them was not alone – there was a Cardassian warship with them.

Seska suspected that the warship was not even aware of her presence on the _Liberty. _The _Vetar _was, after all, a warship of the Cardassian Guard, and the Guard and the Order did little speaking with one another. Their relationship was one of two spiteful siblings, each determined that _they _were the proper protector of Cardassia. Seska laughed slightly to herself. _The Guard lost the last war against the Federation and doesn't have the courage to avenge their losses. The Guard lost Bajor. The Order is the true protector of Cardassia and always has been._

But the _Vetar _did offer something that she had not had before – a chance to be reunited with her people. The ship would be coming for the _Liberty _sooner or later, and Seska suspected it would be sooner. Then, she would reveal herself and use the authority of the Order to take a position of authority aboard. Once they were home she would be returned to the Order – she would be returned to Cardassia, and given back her _own _face.

Manipulating one of the panels in the Engineering section of the _Liberty, _Seska was far more open about her sabotage than she would have been otherwise. Conveniently for her, the ship's Chief Engineer, B'Elanna Torres, had disappeared, and Chakotay would never accuse her of doing anything against the "cause." She had him secured nicely under her thumb. She carefully modified the dampening field suppressing the _Liberty's _ion trail to create a short pulse of energy on a regular basis. It was far too small to be detected by the _Liberty's _own outdated sensors, but the _Vetar _was a state of the art warship. If nothing else, the Cardassian Guard did know how to build ships up to the proper specs. Evek would find them, she was sure. It would be the first step on the path to her liberation.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Captain Janeway and her diminished staff worked diligently to find something, anything, that would lead them to the Maquis raider. The ship, listed as the _Val Jean _in the Federation archives, was more than forty years old and had been scheduled for retirement on one of the Federation border colonies before it had been stolen by Chakotay, the ships captain.

Chakotay's file was one Janeway had studied rigorously after Admiral Paris had given her this assignment. He had been a fine officer – called one of the best by every commanding officer he'd ever had – one with fine tactical senses, a distinct sense of duty, and complete and unwavering loyalty to the Federation. He'd been a Commander when he'd handed in his resignation. Janeway knew that loyalty had been tested when the Federation had signed over his homeworld, Dorvan, to the Cardassians in the last treaty that had been negotiated by Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the _Enterprise _and Gul Evek himself.

It had been annihilated after his father and family were killed by Cardassians a short time afterwards. The Cardassian government insisted they had no involvement and Janeway tended to believe them – Evek especially had been absolutely irate about the incident, at least in public, and the Cardassian official response had been to hunt down and incarcerate as many of those responsible as they possibly could. At least, that was what the Cardassians _claimed. _

Janeway knew there were those in Cardassia who were as vehemently opposed to the treaty as the Maquis. Cardassian colonies in the demilitarized zone had taken up arms, as the Federation colonies themselves had. During her briefing, Sisko had said they had their own private little war, with the Maquis and the Cardassian colonists blowing hell out of one another at every chance they got. It was a classic case of escalation and neither side showed the least inclination to stop the killing. That was, after all, why Starfleet was so insistent on stopping the Maquis – everyone know that, sooner or later, the wrong person would get killed and the escalation would grow to include more than the disgruntled colonists.

In many ways, Janeway felt guilty. The Maquis were, as far as they could tell, fighting for their homes, their land, and their own people. To them, the Federation had left them in the hands of their mortal enemy – they had, after all, just finished fighting a war with the Cardassians. Ronara Prime, the world over which the _Thomas Paine _and the _Al-Batani _had fought the Cardassians so many years before, was one of those worlds that had been given to the Cardassians – and one of the worlds that supported the Maquis. When she had fought on the _Al-Batani, _she had been fighting to protect those people. Now, the Maquis had taken up that same fight – and Janeway was hunting them down.

But, the words she had given Sisko after their confrontation with Evek remained true. Averting war was more important than her guilt. She had her mission and intended to follow it out, as any Starfleet captain would, even seventy thousand lightyears from home, lost out in the Delta Quadrant. More importantly, Chakotay had her friend, even if he didn't know it. Tuvok had not wanted to be used as an intelligence operative, but he had been perfect for the task. Janeway was going to get her friend back.

She sat in the captain's chair, pouring over the sensor data that _Voyager _had collected. The _Val Jean's _ion trail was non-existent – whoever was the engineer on that ship was damn good to create such a perfect mask – but there had to be _something. _Eventually, she found what she was looking for – a short pulse of ions. _It could be accidental, something that just slipped by their masking system. But, I prefer to think that Tuvok has managed to find a way to send a signal. It's just the kind of thing he would try, especially now that he knows I'm here to get him back._

"Mr. Paris, I've isolated the ion trail of the Maquis raider. Set a pursuit course – they can't have gotten far in that old ship of theirs," Janeway ordered. The Bridge was busier than it had been earlier – Rollins was still at tactical, but now she had an operations officer to substitute for the missing Mr. Kim, as Ensign Lang had slipped easily into the position. Still, the Bridge was understaffed.

_Voyager _leapt forward in pursuit, and about an hour later the trail of breadcrumbs ended. Her shields up and weapons powered, _Voyager _skated towards the damaged Maquis vessel. The ship powered her engines and turned to run, but _Voyager _had her in range this time and there was no planet to duck behind.

"_Voyager_ to Maquis raider _Val Jean. _You are ordered to stand down and prepare to be boarded," Janeway ordered. Silence came back over the com as the two ships engaged in a game of cat and mouse, then on the screen a man blinked into existence. He didn't wear the red uniform that he had when he'd served in Starfleet, and his forehead sported a tattoo that it didn't in his official Starfleet file.

"I'm Captain Chakotay. Stop calling my ship the _Val Jean. _This is the _Liberty, _and my answer is no, Captain Janeway," he said. He had a deep, solid voice, one that spoke of a powerful will. The voice matched the eyes, Janeway reflected, and she met his with a steel of her own.

"Don't make me open fire, Commander."

"You want us to surrender to you, just so you can hand us over to the Cardassians? I'd rather die quickly, a _free _man, than let my crew become prisoners of your _allies._" Chakotay's voice was filled with a spite that Janeway recognized. Moreover, she understood Chakotay's fears – probably better than even he did. Her decision, though, was taken from her as a klaxon sounded. For an instant, she thought it was on her own bridge and she half turned to stare at Rollins before she realized it wasn't coming from _Voyager. _A Bajoran woman came into the viewscreen and whispered frantically into Chakotay's ear, and she heard a familiar voice speak in the background.

"Captain, the warp core has gone into overload," it said flatly. _Tuvok._

"What? What do you _mean, _the warp core has started to overload? That can't…" The individual voices lost their clarity as more people began speaking at once, but Janeway strained to hear more words spoken by Tuvok. It quickly became clear that whatever was wrong on the _Val Jean – _the _Liberty, _she allowed_ – _was serious. Quickly punching up the data on the console to her left, she saw the building overload in the _Liberty's _engines.

"Commander Chakotay, your engines are going critical. Let me save your crew. I promise I'll protect them," Janeway said. "I won't turn them over to Evek."

The fire in Chakotay's eyes again met the steel in Janeways. "My crew, but not me?" he asked. Janeway winced.

"I'm under orders to turn you and one of your officers over to Evek," Janeway admitted, letting the steel bend a little. The clash in their eyes lightened as both recognized the struggle behind those of their opponent. _This is a man who would have been a great captain – and he could have been a great friend, if we hadn't been on opposite sides. It's a pity this is the way things are, I think I could have liked him very much._

Chakotay was the one to break the contact. Janeway knew it was a capitulation. "All right, Captain. If you agree to protect my crew, then I'll agree to your terms," he said quietly. In the back, Janeway heard a protestation from the Bajoran woman, but Chakotay ignored her. He returned his gaze to meet Janeway's levelly. _Willing to sacrifice himself to save his crew and willing to do whatever was necessary in the cause of liberty. His ship was aptly named, _Janeway reflected.

Both ships lowered their shields and _Voyager _proceeded to beam the _Liberty's _crew aboard, confining them in one of the cargo bays. Once all were aboard, Janeway took the time to watch from her bridge as the _Liberty's _engines went critical, then the tiny, rugged vessel exploded in a single, scorching blast. _The end of the Liberty_, Janeway thought. And, for a second, she felt an intense sadness.

The second passed. Janeway glanced over at Rollins. "Keep the ship here, Ensign, and do what you can to salvage anything that might have survived the blast, as well as try to find out what caused it. I'm going to go greet our guests in Cargo Bay One." Rollins nodded, and Janeway strode into the turbolift. Paris slipped in beside her. "Mr. Paris?" Janeway asked.

"I should be there, ma'am," he said. Janeway looked at him, appraising him and trying to determine his motives. Finally, she just nodded and the lift doors slid shut.

* * *

Janeway and Paris were joined by a pair of security guards outside the bay. Andrews nodded at her as she tapped the console adjacent to the door, then it slid open. Andrews looked nervous as Janeway walked through first, seemingly uncaring for her own safety, and followed quickly. Paris tried to follow, but the second guard grasped his arm and held him out of the bay. 

Janeway glanced about. There were about thirty men and women scattered throughout the bay, dressed in darkened colors and vaguely military clothes. In the front of the room, leaning against a set of cargo containers, was a group of four people, and Janeway walked up to them. The eyes of the other Maquis found her and the chatter stopped.

"Commander Chakotay," Janeway announced. He pushed off the box. Chakotay was considerably taller than she was and physically imposing. She already knew from their earlier conversation that he was mentally imposing as well. Their eyes met – a clash of wills – and he faltered under her piercing stare. "Come with me, Commander," she said. "You can bring your officers." Chakotay nodded towards his companions.

"Tuvok, Seska, you're with me. Mike, you watch over the crew," Chakotay said. Then Janeway turned her back on him and strode back out of the bay. Andrews, again uncomfortable, kept his back towards the door, covering his captain, while Chakotay and his shipmates walked behind.

Chakotay stopped short when he saw Paris outside the doors. He glanced at Janeway, whose look said plainly that he shouldn't try anything. He compromised and refrained from making a comment to Paris, now dressed again in a Starfleet uniform, but leveled him with a look that could melt duranium. Paris averted his eyes. Satisfied, Chakotay increased his stride so that he was even with Janeway.

"Where are you taking us, Captain?" he asked. Janeway glanced sideways at him.

"There are vacant crew quarters on several decks. Normally I'd just take you to the conference room, but security wanted to limit your access to the bridge, so we're going to use one of them to talk," Janeway said. She stopped short outside a door that was labeled crew quarters, but had no nameplate. She tapped on the console for a second, and the doors slid open. Janeway gestured for Chakotay and Seska to sit on one of the couches, but caught Tuvok's arm.

Chakotay glanced up. Janeway held Tuvok's arm in what looked like a light grip, and they were exchanging glance. Finally, Tuvok turned away and faced Chakotay. "I'm sorry to inform you, Sir, that I was assigned to infiltrate your vessel. I am Captain Janeway's tactical and security officer," he said.

Chakotay's mouth fell open, and then he snapped it shut. "Were you going to deliver us into the waiting hands of Evek and the Cardassians, Tuvok?" he asked.

Tuvok's face didn't register a response. "No, Captain. My orders were simply to infiltrate the Maquis in order to serve as an informant in an attempt to prevent further attacks on Federation interests, and then turn you over to Captain Janeway. They made no mention of the Cardassians, although from the recent events that have taken place, I assume our orders have been altered."

Seska stared at Tuvok. "Were _you _the one responsible for the warp core overload? I _knew _that wasn't an accident. It was far too sudden and untimely."

Tuvok paused. "When it became apparent that Captain Chakotay was no longer able to escape from _Voyager _without direct combat, I decided to change the situation in order to give Captain Janeway a tactical advantage and allow the conflict to reach its natural resolution without bloodshed," Tuvok said. "The answer is yes, I was responsible for the overload of the _Liberty's _warp core." Chakotay turned away in disgust.

Janeway sat across from Chakotay and Seska. "My orders, until immediately prior to our departure, were to find and recover Lieutenant Tuvok, take the crew of the _Val Jean _into custody, and then turn the crew over to Federation security on Deep Space Nine. That was changed when I received new orders that included _Voyager _being accompanied into the Badlands by Gul Evek and his warship and turning the two of you," she gestured at Chakotay and Seska, "over to Evek."

"Do you intend to follow those orders, _Captain?_" Seska asked.

Janeway shrugged. "To be perfectly honest, Ms. Seska, at this point I'm not sure what I'm going to do. My own mission objectives changed the instant we all got pulled into the Delta Quadrant – my primary goal is first to get my ship and her crew back to the Alpha Quadrant."

Chakotay looked over. "Understood, Captain," he said. "That seems reasonable. I have two questions: first, what do you intend to do with us in the meantime?" he asked.

Janeway shrugged. "For now, I have little choice but to keep you confined in the cargo bay. The brig is too small to hold all of you and neither can I give you free access to _Voyager_."

Chakotay nodded. "All right. My second question is this: one member of my crew, B'Elanna Torres, my engineer, didn't return with us from the Array. Is she in your custody?" he asked.

Janeway glanced up. "No. In fact, one of my crew, Ensign Kim, also disappeared following our encounter with the Array, as did one member of Gul Evek's crew. Evek agreed to remain in orbit around Ocampa and search for each of our missing men while _Voyager _went in pursuit of you."

"You let Evek take custody of one of my people?" Chakotay growled. Janeway blasted him with another glare.

"I'll have you know, Commander, that I wouldn't give anyone over to the Cardassians if I had an alternative. I didn't know that your crewman was missing when Evek and I agreed to split up for the common cause. But even if I had, it would not have changed my decision, and while I don't _want _to hand the two of you over to Evek, I have my orders and I will if it becomes necessary."

Chakotay turned away and nodded. Janeway reached out and rested a hand on his arm. "For what it's worth, Commander, I understand why you defected to join the Maquis. And I'm sorry it all has happened the way it has."

Chakotay turned back and met her eyes. "Do you, Captain? I don't know what you think you know, but every member of my crew has suffered at the hands of the Cardassians, and unless you have done the same you could _never _understand why we have chosen to act as we have."

Janeway stood. "Perhaps, Commander," she murmured. "But, unlike you, I fought on the front lines in the last war. I read your service record – you never did. And unless you have, I don't think you could ever understand why _we _have chosen to act as _we _have." She walked towards the door, followed by Andrews. "Mr. Andrews, take these two back to Cargo Bay One and put them with the others," she said. "One last thing, Commander. Mr. Paris is a member of my crew and I expect you to treat him with as much dignity and respect as you would have me treat one of yours, no matter what past lies between you," she said. Then she left. Andrews and Tuvok remained to return Chakotay and Seska to the cargo bay.

Paris met her outside. She glanced at him. "Why did you want to be here, Mr. Paris?" she asked.

Paris grimaced. "They think I betrayed them, and perhaps, by helping you, I did. But I _never _spied on them, for _anyone. _And despite what they think of me, I still consider many of them… fine people, and perhaps friends. I just wanted to make sure they were all right," he said.

"One of them is missing, like Harry and Glinn Talek. Their engineer, B'Elanna Torres," Janeway said as Paris walked behind her. She saw him wince and turn away. Janeway reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Tom, we'll do whatever we can to find and help her, even if she doesn't want our help. We'll do whatever we can to help all of them." Tom nodded.

* * *

_His eyes blinked open, vision blurred. Pulling himself upwards with what strength he had, his body was very woozy – it forced him to remain on the cushioned surface he was lying upon. Sensation came back slowly, as touch and vision were supplanted my smell – a dry, bleach smell that he associated with hospitals. Then his ears kicked in, and he vaguely recognized the sound of a struggle._

_"Let me go! I'll kill that petaQ! Cardassian taHqeq! Release ME!" There was a roar, dulled by his numbed senses, and he felt motion as there was a crash. There were several dull thuds. Another crash, and growls from two people – he could make out what sounded like a man, returning the blows. _

_"Hurry! Get the sedatives!"_

_"We can't restrain them like this! They'll kill each other!"_

_"Just flood the room with anesthetics!"_

_There was a slam and a hiss. The struggle abated as both combatants realized what was happening, then the woman threw herself into a final assault. "This is for the dead, you bastard! Tohzah! I'll send you straight to Gre'thor!" There was a gasping choke. As the gas sent him back into unconsciousness, he heard both of them clatter to the floor and the door open once more._


	5. Chapter 5

**Act Two**

_Masquerading as a man with a reason  
My charade is the event of the season  
And if I claim to be a wise man, well  
It surely means that I don't know.  
On a stormy sea of moving emotion  
Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean  
I set a course for winds of fortune  
But I hear the voices say:_

**Chapter Five**

Gul Evek was not a happy man. The _Vetar _was finished – he doubted the ship would ever create a stable warp field again, which meant that he had very few options. Whatever power had spirited him away from the Badlands and into that damnable simulation on the Array had effectively stranded him and his crew on Ocampa – a planet that had no water of any kind on the surface.

That meant, if he wanted to leave, he had two options: find a way to get the Caretaker to send them back or beg Janeway to take his crew aboard her ship. Neither was particularly enticing, but the Caretaker solution had the benefit of getting his crew back to Cardassia. The Janeway solution was just a disaster for all parties involved.

Evek, like his father and his father's father before him, was a member of the Cardassian Guard, Fourth Order. His father had fought the Bajorans before and during the Occupation. Evek himself had been much too young to fight on Bajor during the invasion, but he, like all members of the Guard, had fought the Bajorans during the fifty years that followed. He had fought the Federation during this time as well – the conflicts and war that was precipitated on their borders provided the Guard with great amounts of combat experience.

All three of his children were members of the Fourth Order, carrying on the family line. Two were dead – killed fighting the Federation – fighting Janeway. His youngest, and last child, Veroz, joined the Guard and the Fourth Order when he was old enough to enlist. Evek hoped – and prayed – that Veroz would never have to fight the Federation and that he would never know the kind of war that killed his brothers.

But, like all Cardassians, Evek's first duty was just that – his duty. For five hundred years, since the unification of Cardassia and the formation of the Cardassian Union, every Cardassian had two loyalties. Their first was to Cardassia – to their people, to their government, and to their nation. The greatest work of Cardassian literature was _The Never Ending Sacrifice, _a story of seven generations of a Cardassian family, each of which had lived and died in service to the state.

Their second was to family.

Now, lost in the Delta Quadrant, Evek knew where his duty lay. He had a mission – return Chakotay and Seska to Cardassia Prime. Janeway had asked him why the Federation had agreed to extradite them and the honest answer was Evek didn't know – he didn't know the significance of either one of the two Maquis terrorists or why they were so important. His duty, however, was clear – he had to return them.

Thankfully, this coincided with Evek's duty to his family. He wanted to see his son again, see him promoted to Gul, and see him given a warship, as his own father had seen him. Ghosar and Hogue had been killed long before they reached that level of experience – the Federation, and war, had robbed them of their chance to serve Cardassia. But Veroz would someday have a ship of his own and Evek intended to be there when it happened. He wanted to see _his _family live up to the standard set by _The_ _Never Ending Sacrifice_.

First, Evek needed to get home. And before he could get home, he needed Chakotay and Seska. And before he could take possession of the two Maquis, he needed to fulfill his half of the bargain – recover Janeway's missing crewman. Not to mention, find his first officer Glinn Talek. Evek wasn't particularly happy with Talek at the moment – the stunt he had pulled on the Array was not something Evek had in mind – but he intended to retrieve him.

With the _Vetar _in her current crippled condition this was proving to be a most difficult task. Her sensor suite had been relatively undamaged, but there was nothing on the planet to see. No water, no life, nothing. His officers had traced the energy blasts fired by the Array down towards the planet in the hopes of finding something at their endpoint, but there had been nothing to find.

Gil Talarn, his only remaining bridge officer now that Talek was gone, was hunched over the only functioning bridge console and staring at it, arguing with the ship's computer. Evek worked adjacent to him as the two worked tirelessly to find something, _anything _that could give them a hint to where Talek and Kim had gone.

In frustration, Talarn slammed his fist into the console. "Gul, I don't see _anything _down there except sparse encampments of native humanoids. The planet is _dead._ I've never seen anything like it. Talek and the Federation officer must still be on the Array," he muttered. Evek shook his head – that possibility had already been eliminated. The Array had no shields they could see and scanning it was a simple procedure – there were vague life form readings, but nothing that registered as humanoid. They relayed all their findings to Doctor Parmak, the ship's only remaining physician, but he assured them that there was no possible way Talek and the Federation officer were producing the readings.

Talarn stabbed his broken console as it beeped at him. "What _now?_"

To Evek's astonishment, the main viewscreen came to life. On it was an unusual alien – a species he didn't recognize. Blondish, yellow hair popped out of the top of his head, very unlike Cardassian hair. He had fur on his cheeks and defined ridges on the side of his head. "Why, hello there! My name is Neelix and…" the alien hustled forward and pressed his nose close to the viewer, staring into the screen at an oblique angle, "I don't think I've _ever _seen a ship quite like _yours _before! Is there anything I can do for you today?"

Evek suppressed his desire to stab the weapons console and blow the alien into fragments. He stood and began to speak, but Neelix interrupted him. "Wait, wait… don't tell me… you've been spirited here against your will from some distant part of the galaxy and you're wondering if I have a way to get you home, or why you're here, or if I have any idea where your missing crewmen are. Yes?"

Had he not spent so many years in the military, Evek's mouth might have gaped open. As it was, he found himself fighting to find something to say in response to the alien's accurate assessment of their current situation. Neelix nodded knowingly. "I thought so. Tell you what Mister… Mister…."

Evek finally spoke. "Gul Evek of the Cardassian warship _Vetar._"

"A warship? Well, pleased to meet you Mr. Gul Evek! As I was saying… I think I have knowledge that might be able to help you get your people back. I'm not sure if you _can _get home, but I do believe I know where your people might be. But if I help you… you're going to have to help me. And if you're from a _warship…_" Neelix straightened out his clothes, grinning into the screen, "You might be _exactly _what I need."

Evek turned to Talarn. "Gil, are the transporters still functioning?" He ignored the alien's gibber – Neelix was asking what a transporter was.

Talarn looked up and nodded. "Yes sir, the engineering staff just finished getting them back online."

Evek waved at the viewscreen. "Beam that… man… over here." Talarn nodded and worked the controls on his panel while Neelix continued to jabber at them, then stabbed a button. Next to the viewscreen on a transporter pad a red and gold light shimmered and Neelix materialized on the bridge.

"What… where…" Neelix stared at Evek then started wandering about the bridge, scraping dust off panels and prodding broken consoles. "_Wow! _You actually grabbed me off my ship and made me appear over here! That's incredible! Ouch, looks like this ship has seen better days… still worth a _ton _in salvage revenue though…"

"_Mr. Neelix."_ Evek said in a loud voice that carried throughout the bridge. Neelix stopped his appraising and turned to face him. "You said you had information and would be willing to share it with us in exchange for our assisting you in a problem of your own. Speak or I will send you back to your garbage scowl."

"Ah… yes. Well, it's like this. I _don't _know where your crewmen are." Seeing Evek's face lose some of it's emotion and him turn almost imperceptibly towards Talarn, Neelix quickly continued, "But I know someone who _does _know where your crewmen are, I think, and rescuing her is what I wanted your assistance with. So, you see, we have a mutual problem."

Evek stood face to face with Neelix, towering over the alien. Neelix flinched, but continued to meet the Gul's glare. "Where is this person being held, Mr. Neelix, and by whom?" Evek's voice was low and dangerous.

"Her… her name is Kes." Neelix had lost his enthusiasm and was now just nervous. "She's being held by the Kazon, by Maje Jabin. We could try to negotiate her release if you have something they would value."

"Such as what?" Evek asked. To himself, he noted the reference to the Kazon. _The Caretaker mentioned them too. Maybe this alien is more valuable than he appears._

"Do you have… water?" Neelix asked tentatively.

Evek turned to Talarn. "I wonder if they'll drink Canar instead," he said dryly. "We wouldn't have to replicate that."

* * *

Evek and Talarn accompanied Neelix down to the surface. With them were six Cardassian troops – all the soldiers that had survived their transit to the Delta Quadrant. Neelix had pinpointed the location of Maje Jabin's camp from orbit with the _Vetar's _sensors and the transporter had placed them within easy walking distance of the camp – along with a large amount of water they carried.

The camp was scrawny and scattered. The Kazon were warriors, Evek could easily tell, but these were obviously not their best. Their weapons, what he could see of them, were primitive by Cardassian standards – and their need for water told him all he needed to know about their technological limitations.

Neelix hobbled ahead of the pack, calling to the Kazon. "Jabin! _Jabin! _I've brought water to replace all that I borrowed… and then some!" Evek didn't like the content of the alien's speech – he was not fond of thieves.

One emerged from the largest structure and strode forwards, escorted by two others. "Jabin, my old friend! How _are _you?" Neelix chattered. Jabin grabbed him by the throat.

"What do you _want, _Talaxian? You should have known that you had overstayed your welcome and that coming back would mean the _end _for you." Neelix gasped, unable to speak, and Evek decided to make his presence known.

"The… Talaxian… is with me," he said. Around him, the Cardassian guards planted both hands on their rifles and swept the barrels over the Kazon, picking out targets in case the negotiations stalled.

"And who exactly are you, foreigner?" Jabin snarled.

"My name is Gul Evek of the Cardassian Guard, the Fourth Order. I am captain of the warship _Vetar, _one in a long line of servants of Cardassia. If you know what's best for you, you would not cross me. Release the thief," Evek said in a low voice that carried. "I have come for the woman you hold – the Ocampa. Release her to me and I will let you keep the water that I carry."

"What makes you think my men and I won't just _take _your water and keep both?" Jabin said. His solid tenor was no match for Evek's.

"You are welcome to try." Evek glared at the Kazon Maje. The battle of wills lasted only seconds before Jabin relented.

"Bah. Fine, take the woman. She told us nothing and she will tell _you _nothing. She's a poor servant, a worse slave, and all around worthless. I will have your something for my nothing."

Evek nodded slowly. "A wise choice, Maje. Now, tell me, what do you know of the Caretaker?"

Jabin's eyes gleamed. "You're one of those? One of the lost ones, plucked away from your home without reason or cause? Interesting." He released Neelix, who rushed over to a near structure. Opening the door quickly, he came out with the Ocampa prisoner – she had been badly beaten and Neelix helped her out of the house.

"This is Kes, Gul Evek," he said. "She will help you find your missing men in exchange for our freedom." Evek spared a second to glance over the two of them, a pair of ragged, scraggly refugees. He recognized their ilk from his time on Bajor. Then, he turned his eyes back to Jabin.

"Stay out of my way, Maje," Evek barked. "I have no interest in you or this planet. You obviously know how we came to be here and so you must know we are from far from this place. Where I come from, men like you have long since fallen and your technology is so outdated that even a crippled Cardassian warship could destroy a _fleet _of whatever you could muster. Do not interfere and you will live."

Jabin smiled. "I've heard that before," he said.

Evek grinned and his teeth shone. "I'll bet you have." Then, staring at Jabin with a piercing glare, he nodded at Talarn. Before he and his men finished dematerializing he saw Jabin's eyes widen in shock and knew that he had won this round.

* * *

"How is she, Doctor?" Neelix's energetic nature was beginning to grate on the Cardassian crewmen. Doctor Parmak was running a medical instrument over the Ocampa, analyzing the damage the Kazon had done to her body.

"Will someone get this tramp out of my infirmary?" Parmak muttered. Evek nodded to one of the guards, who grabbed Neelix and dragged him out of the room.

"Wait! Kes!"

The Ocampa, Kes, just gave him a tiny smile to let him know that she would be all right, then the door slid shut. She turned up to Evek. "I want to thank you for helping me. I know Neelix can be frustrating but he means well. I'm Kes."

Evek nodded. "I had deduced that." He towered over the Ocampa. "You know that the Talaxian bargained that you would be able to assist us if we got you away from the Kazon." Kes sighed and turned away, but she nodded.

"Yes, and I will keep my end of the bargain. You are missing one or more of your crew, yes?" Kes asked. Evek gave no sign of acknowledgement, so Kes continued. "Millennia ago, there was a great catastrophe on Ocampa. The rains stopped falling, the oceans disappeared, and none of it came back. The Caretaker saved us – took our people deep under the surface of our world where there was still water. Ever since, he has taken care of all our needs – food, water, energy to power our technology – the Caretaker has protected our people for as long as any of us can remember."

"I was always too curious… I was not willing to accept my role as a willing recipient of the Caretaker's generosity. I was enticed by stories of when our people lived on the surface and saw the sunlight, when we took care of ourselves and traveled far and wide to better ourselves, instead of accepting that we were beggars with a faithful benefactor."

Evek sat on a chair that Parmak grabbed for him. "You wanted to return your people to a better place – a proper place – and do whatever you could to prove that your people could be more than they are."

Kes smiled. "You understand. The stories tell of great achievements and great powers that my people once had and that have been taken from them. I wanted to see the sunlight and the stars – I wanted to try to be something more than my people would have me be." Kes sighed, the smile vanished. "My encounter with the Kazon taught me much about how much my people have lost and how far I need to go." Kes looked up. "But… you were not here to listen to me speak of my own flaws. Recently, the Caretaker began sending people to Ocampa – people who were ill with a virus and terrible lesions. All of them die."

Evek stared at the girl until she met his gaze. Unlike many, she did not flinch. _Proud, this one. And stubborn. Had she been born a Cardassian, she would have made a fine one. _"Can we recover them? Perhaps our medicine can cure them where yours cannot."

Kes stood and began to pace. "The tunnel I came up has been sealed. There are powerful energy shields that protect the tunnels down, and the one that I found that was weakened enough for me to slip through is no longer a viable possibility. There are gaps in the security, but I don't know how to get back down." She looked at him. "But… you made us vanish from the surface and brought us up here without a ship, like Neelix's. You made us just… disappear from one place and reappear in another. Maybe you can send us down the same way?"

Evek smiled a tiny, ambiguous smile. _Smart, too. _"It is possible. Talarn will look into the possibility."

Kes looked up at him. "I've told you my story. Will you tell me yours?" she asked. Evek turned away.

"My story is like yours in some ways, young one. But it is different, too. My people were never subservient, like yours, but we reached out to grasp our destiny as you tried to do. Our whole people was united in our quest – it took us a long time to finally come together as a people and take that step into the stars – but once we did, we learned that destiny does not come easily. For five hundred years, our people have served the state – served Cardassia – so we too could see the heavens." Evek sighed. "I serve Cardassia, young one, in all that it demands that I do."

Kes nodded. She glanced up at him. "But you are troubled," she said confidently.

"I am lost in this place, far from the stars of my home and far from my son. And the hand that once reached out united has never been more divided or fragile than it is today – the Obsidian Order and the Cardassian Guard, the Central Command and the Dissident Movement… Cardassia is a troubled world. It took me many years to see it, but the Maquis finally opened my eyes. I do what must be done to keep my people as one, young one. I do what I must to keep them strong." Evek looked at her. _So wise for one so young. I find myself confessing things to this girl that I'm not sure I even confessed to myself. _Evek grimaced. _She's probably the most dangerous person on this ship. She would have made a fine Cardassian, indeed – if the Order didn't steal her away for her talents. _

Evek gestured to Doctor Parmak. "Doctor, see to treating the rest of this one's injuries. I must return to the Bridge and start finding a way into the underground caverns." He turned to Kes. "There are many things in this galaxy that are dangerous. The drive to be better, stronger, and wiser is one of them. It can get you killed." _Ghosar. Hogue. _"But the chance of success is worth the risk." _Veroz,__I hope. And Cardassia._

Kes reached out and stopped him. "In some ways, you remind me of my father," she said. "He always wanted what was best for the Ocampa, even if it went against what the leaders said was best us." She smiled. "He was a wise man, too."

Evek departed from the infirmary. _I do not question the Occupation, _he thought. _I do not question the camps, or the deaths, or the constant battle for supremacy. Nor do I question the Federation wars, though they killed my sons. I don't question the decisions that brought me to this place. I do not question the Guard, or the Central Command. I support the government, oppose the Dissidents, and fight for Cardassia. I will always fight for Cardassia – but I also fight so that perhaps my son will no longer have to, and his son, and his. I will do whatever it takes to keep there from being another war, because whatever our destiny, it is a war we would not win, even if we defeated our enemies. But if it should come, I would fight and I would not question._

Evek winced. _Of course, if we truly are stuck out here, seventy thousand lightyears from Cardassia, I will never fight for my people again._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Talarn managed to pinpoint a gap in the security field and, with precise use of the sensors, found a way to beam down. Evek, Talarn, and Parmak beamed down into the underground city, along with Kes – although they left Neelix behind. The young Ocampa led them through her city, looking for a man she said was named Daggin.

They ended up in a small area of the city while Kes scoured it, looking for her friend. Evek and Talarn focused their energies on their equipment, trying to locate and non-Ocampan lifesigns, but the Caretaker's shields prevented them from being effective. Dependant on Kes and her knowledge of the city to find the missing crew, they followed her. Talarn was reluctant, but Evek trusted the Ocampa to keep her word.

"Kes?" a male voice asked. Kes glanced around, then turned around suddenly. She burst into a huge grin and grabbed the man who had spoken.

"Uncle Elrem!" she exclaimed. "Where is everyone? How are you?" Elrem laughed, although Evek noted that he took in each of the Cardassians with a glance before responding to Kes.

"Always asking questions, Kes. You're the one who left for the surface, I should be asking _you _all the question!" He exhaled with a smile. "I see you've found friends. Daggin is out… but I sense that you have need of something. Can I help?"

"Yes, Uncle," Kes said. "I need to find the aliens that the Caretaker sends to us. Some of them are friends of these people – they saved me from the Kazon," she said. Elrem stroked his chin.

"Well, I assume that they'd be in the central medical facility, that's where all the ones the Caretaker sends us are taken. But there's been quite a racket there recently and no new people have been announced – maybe they're being held inside?" he said. Elrem grasped Kes' arm and led the group towards the center of the city. "Come, we'll see what we can do for your new friends."

* * *

Harry Kim's eyes opened up once more. The anesthetics that he had been exposed to, time and again, were beginning to lose their effect on his system. Glancing from side to side, he noted that the Cardassian had been removed from the room after they'd been knocked out the last time, but the Klingon woman – the Maquis – was still here. She was sitting calmly on the opposite bunk and staring at him. _All right that's… kind of scary._

"About time you woke up, Starfleet," she growled.

"I'm sorry my body isn't as resistant to sleeping gas as yours is. Maybe if you hadn't tried to kill the Cardassian every time you regained consciousness I would have been awake and we could have had a decent conversation," Kim grated. "Have the doctors and guards returned lately?"

"No," the woman said. "I think they've decided we're more trouble than we're worth and have just left us in here." She stood and turned towards the door and slammed her fists into it, causing a loud bang. "Do you hear me, _petaQs?_" she shouted.

"I can't imagine why," Harry muttered. The woman continued to smash the door, which didn't budge. He stood and grabbed her arms from behind, but she turned and slapped him away. "Calm down, okay?" he said. "I'm Harry. Harry Kim."

She glared at him. "B'Elanna Torres. I'm one of the Maquis those Cardassians are trying to exterminate." She paused, breathing heavily. "And you're Starfleet, the cowards who aren't willing to fight for their own dying colonists," she spat viciously.

"Hey! If the colonists hadn't _started _the fighting when they destroyed the _Bok'nor_, then neither of us would be having this conversation and instead of hunting you down I could be doing what I signed up for – _exploring._" Harry sat down on the bed. He looked over his body, noting several lumps had formed over different areas of his skin. Glancing at B'Elanna, he noticed that she had developed them as well. He sighed. "Instead, I'm going to die in a cell on a planet in the Delta Quadrant, seventy thousand lightyears from my parents because I went on a merry chase of a bunch of terrorists."

"We're not going to die, Starfleet. Not in here, not if I have anything to say about it," B'Elanna said. She paced around the room. "And the Maquis aren't terrorists, Starfleet. Not by a longshot."

"They look like it from where I'm sitting," Kim groused. "Worse, you're jeopardizing a peace that took decades to finally create. I don't know about you, but I don't _want _another war."

B'Elanna laughed. "Coward."

"You're damn straight I am," Harry said. "Starfleet is responsible for defending the Federation and if I have to, I _will. _But I don't want to die fighting a war, Maquis. I can think of many better ways to spend my life."

B'Elanna stood and walked over to him, putting her face close to his. "Yeah, Starfleet? Can you? What of the dead on Dorvan? What of the Federation colonists who have been captured, interrogated, and murdered? What of the people of Setlik III? What about the Bajorans, who spent fifty years being raped, plundered, and murdered by your so-called allies? If you think the Cardassians can _ever _be negotiated with, you're sorely mistaken. They're murderous, lying bastards, every last one of them." She pulled back and resumed her pacing.

Harry watched her. "How many would die in a war, Maquis? How many would die who would have lived if there had been peace?"

"At least they would die _for_ something, instead of dying because the Cardassians decided they should on a whim," B'Elanna growled. "At least, after the war was over, the killing would _stop._"

"Would it?" asked Harry. "Would it really? Or would it only stop once one side was eradicated, forever. _Genocide_, Maquis. Is that what you want?"

"What I want? Do you know what I want?" B'Elanna turned and looked at him with fire in her eyes. "I want Chakotay's family back. I want Dalby's wife alive. I want Gerron's parents to be here to raise him. I want the colonists who are dead to be returned to life. I want the fathers who have lost their sons and the mothers who have lost their daughters to those _bastards_ to have them given back. I want Bajor the way it was before fifty years of rampant destruction. And I want to make sure the Cardassians never, _ever,_ do it to anyone else. That's what _I _want, Starfleet."

* * *

Kes walked towards the entrance to the hospital facility, ignoring the looks shot by onlookers towards her and her Cardassian companions. Elrem glared back at them, but Kes just strode onwards.

_"Stop." _The telepathic voice brought Kes up short, although her Cardassian companions continued onwards as if nothing had happened.

Kes scowled. "They can't speak telepathically, Toscet, so please speak aloud," she said. Evek, Talarn, and Parmak stopped, turning towards the confrontation. An Ocampan male, accompanied by two others, walked up and imposed himself between them and the hospital gates.

"You went against everything we hold dear, Kes, to go to the surface and now you return with outsiders? Have you forgotten everything the Caretaker has done for us? How he saved our lives by his grace?" Toscet's face turned into a pronounced frown. "What do you want from us now?"

Kes strode up to him. Though he was a head taller than she, she stared up at him in bold defiance. "What has the Caretaker done for us, Toscet? We have forgotten who we are. We have lost so much and become dependent – addicted even – to his generosity. What happens if he should disappear? Would we suffer from withdrawal? Would we just roll over and die because we no longer know how to sustain ourselves?" She spoke in a loud, intense voice. "These people helped me, Toscet, and I will help them. We've come for those the Caretaker sent."

Toscet met Kes' defiance with a regal, overbearing look of disdain. "You chose to leave us, Kes, and leave us you shall. Go back to the surface where you now belong." He turned to Evek. "If you want your people, you can have them. Most of the ones the Caretaker sends us are grateful for whatever we can give them, but these… all three are being held in the hospital. They tried to kill one another, so they've been incarcerated." He frowned. "Take them. They're yours."

Evek turned to Talarn. "Three?" Talarn shrugged, and Evek brushed past Toscet, giving the Ocampan elder the cold shoulder. "Come with me," he said to his companions, striding into the facility.

* * *

Kim and Torres sat in silence, facing in opposite directions. B'Elanna stared angrily at the door that prevented their departure, while Harry sat and contemplated his short, but eventful, Starfleet career. Neither was in the mood to talk.

B'Elanna stood suddenly when there was a scuffle outside the door. She readied herself to charge at whoever came through so she could attempt to escape. The door shuddered once, a metallic twang echoing through their sparse quarters. Then again. On the third clang, it swung open, slamming against the adjacent wall with a smash.

B'Elanna's eyes widened in shock. Then her face contorted into a snarl and she charged forward, throwing herself towards the opening and the man standing in it. Harry turned around as a phaser blast struck the Klingon full in the chest, knocking her backwards onto the floor. She lay, motionless.

Harry stared at the Cardassian in the doorway. "Was that really necessary?" he asked angrily, standing to face the other man.

Gul Evek pointed the phaser at him. "Be silent or I will stun you as well," he said.

Harry walked forwards. He glanced down at B'Elanna, then kneeled beside her and lifted her up to carry her out of the hospital. Evek watched, emotionless. Then he turned and gestured to his comrades. Talarn walked forward and hoisted his arm around B'Elanna as well, and together he and Harry carried her forwards.

Next to Evek, Talek laughed. "Serves her right," he said under his breath. "She never let me get a word in edgewise." Evek glanced at him, sideways, an appraising and lordly look that Talek didn't notice. In the corner of his eye, Evek saw Kes and Elrem watching all that had happened with a cross of horror and shock.

Doctor Parmak removed a small medical device and scanned each of the three former captives. "Something has tried to take their DNA and integrate it into your bodily systems," he said. "I have no idea what they were trying to accomplish, all they managed to do was produce these odd lesions." He nodded to Evek. "They should be easily treatable. Given enough time they could have been fatal, but I can remove the affected areas without difficulty." He pulled out a hypospray and injected each of them. "That should slow the effects."

Suddenly, there was a small quake that shook the facility. Dust settled from the ceiling. Evek's eyes narrowed. "Evek to _Vetar_, report."

"Sir, the Array has stopped firing energy pulses at the surface and is now firing some kind of plasma charge. It appears to be trying to seal the entrances to the underground caverns permanently."

Evek glanced at Kes. "Are you coming with us?" he asked. Kes glanced at Elrem, and then threw her arms around the older man.

"I have to go, uncle. You understand."

Elrem smiled. "I know, Kes. You would never have been happy here. Go and find your place among the stars." The embrace lasted for a few seconds, but a second blast shook the complex and Elrem released her. "You should go, now, while you still can."

Kes looked at Evek. "I'm ready," she said.

Evek nodded. "Evek to _Vetar, _transport us out of here while you still can," he said. Pulling their party into a small circle, each of them vanished in beams of shimmering red and orange light.

* * *

On the transporter pad, Talarn released B'Elanna's limp body. She swooned towards the ground and Harry struggled to keep her upright. The stun blast was beginning to wear off, he could tell, and he glanced up towards Gul Evek. Evek eyed them both, then turned to Talarn. "Put them in one of the empty crew quarters until further notice. We need to decide what we're going to do with them," he said. He glanced at Kes. "Kes, you can accompany Doctor Parmak for now. He'll keep an eye on you." Kes glanced uneasily at Harry and B'Elanna, but nodded and followed Parmak.

Harry's head swung around as Kes and the Doctor departed. "Wait a second, you're not going to give us back to Captain Janeway?" Evek's head turned marginally, glancing at Kim.

"I don't know yet," he said. "There are other things that need to be discussed in the meantime." The look on Kim's face was one of shock.

"But…"

Evek gestured to Talarn, who grasped Harry's arm. Talek came in and took B'Elanna from Harry, then the two Cardassians led their prisoners out of the bridge. By the time they had reached empty quarters, B'Elanna was nearing full consciousness and beginning to actively struggle against Talek. Talarn opened the room and ushered Harry inside while Talek simply tossed B'Elanna's prone body down onto the floor. With a thud she struck the ground, and that was enough to bring her back to full awareness.

Talek leaned over her prone body, a phaser pointed at her chest. "Tell me, Klingon, would you really have killed me if you got the chance?" he sneered.

B'Elanna's foggy vision and senses cleared and she sat up, staring defiantly down the barrel of Talek's phaser. "Do you really need to ask?" she growled.

"No, I suppose not," Talek said. He leaned forward slightly, careful not to get too close. "What do you think I'm going to do to you, now that I'm the one in control?" he whispered.

B'Elanna growled. "You torture men, rape women, and murder children," she snarled. "But you'll never get close enough to me to try it." B'Elanna's slightly sharpened teeth shone through her mouth.

"Well," Talek said. "You're not a man, so I won't torture you. And you're definitely not a child." He waved the phaser. "We'll just have to see about the last one."

Harry fell into a neat combat pose that he'd learned at the academy during basic training. Talek glanced at him and laughed aloud. "What are you going to do, human? Hit me with your fists before I can shoot you with the phaser? Even if you did strike me, I'm a soldier. You're just a _scientist._" He emphasized the last word mockingly.

Harry grinned boldly. "Maybe so, but I bet I can distract you long enough for her to tear out your throat," he said, nodding his head towards B'Elanna. She had risen onto the balls of her feet, the stun blast long forgotten.

Talarn leaned in closer to Talek. "Gul Evek wanted to speak with you, sir," he said. Talek didn't acknowledge him, but waved the phaser between the two captives.

"Duty calls," he said. "Don't get comfortable." Then Talek turned and walked out of the room. Talarn retreated with his phaser still covering Harry and B'Elanna, and then behind them the door slammed shut.

B'Elanna turned to Harry. "Thanks, Starfleet," she said grudgingly. Harry turned and nodded his acknowledgement. They regarded one another, suddenly not seeing the enemy. B'Elanna wandered over to the food replicator. "Come on, let's figure out a way out of this dump," she said. Harry's grin returned, not the bold one from when he'd confronted Talek, but a genuine smile. "I would never have expected you to stand up to the Cardie like that, Starfleet. I owe you one," B'Elanna admitted as the two started poking around the room.

Harry grimaced. "I was a bit surprised at my actions myself," he admitted. "Talek was right, I am a scientist, not a soldier."

B'Elanna continued fiddling with the replicator. "You graduated from the academy, Starfleet. That means you're both, because while the academy teaches you how to be a scientist, it also teaches you how to do what is right – most of the time, anyway." She sighed. "Maybe that's why I didn't make it through."

Harry glanced over at her. "You were at the academy?" he asked, surprised. B'Elanna was silent for a second, and then she nodded. Harry laughed slightly. "Tell me, Maquis, who'd youhave for survival training? You're definitely better at it than I am."

B'Elanna was silent, engrossed in the replicator. Harry finally shrugged and went back to searching the room. _The Cardassians taught me most of what I know, Starfleet, _she thought. But she restrained the comment – Harry was only trying to be friendly. She thought back to her academy days. "Commander Zakarian," she said finally.

Harry laughed. "Old Sneezy must have saved all his tricks for you," he said. "I don't know _half _the moves you know."

* * *

Talek walked into the bridge. It was in better shape than it had been earlier – more of the consoles were lit. The ship had shields again, and the weapons had more power. The impulse drive was working once again, although pushing it past its limits, normally something that would just annoy the engineering staff, could very well cause a core breach. But, most importantly, the warp drive was still inoperable.

He faced Evek while Talarn slipped in behind one of the bridge consoles. "Gul Evek," he said in a salutary manner.

Evek eyed him. "I'm not very happy with you at this moment, Glinn," he said. "When I gave you free reign to try to get the attention of our captors on the Array, I did not mean blow up the simulation. You could easily have gotten us all killed with your presumption."

Talek didn't flinch. "Sometimes, in order to get where you want to go you must take risks, sir. There did not appear to be another option and our mission orders stated that they were of the highest priority."

Evek nodded slowly. "Yes, I know. That is what we need to discuss." He tapped the console. "_Voyager _hasn't returned yet, but when they do Captain Janeway will undoubtedly have recovered the Maquis crew, including the two individuals we have been ordered to retrieve." A frown crossed Evek's face. "I still don't quite understand our orders – Chakotay is a fine captain for the Maquis, but not really that dangerous, and Seska would be a meaningless prize – however, it seems we have no choice in the matter." He leaned back into his chair. "How do you suggest we proceed, Glinn?"

"Our main priority is to find a way back to Cardassia with the prisoners we require to finish our mission," Talek said. "We should demand that Janeway turn over the two prisoners we require. If she refuses, we have two prisoners who we could offer in trade."

Evek nodded slowly. "Starfleet would not be pleased we held one of their officers hostage, but Janeway is under orders to turn Chakotay and Seska over to us whether she wants to or not. Mr. Kim and the Maquis would make reasonable incentives." Evek tapped his upper lip. "All right. Our options seem limited. Put is in an orbit around the Array while we await Janeway's return and begin scanning it to try to find out how it brought us here and how we could get back." As Talek moved away to perform his orders, Evek's eyes followed him. _There's something not right about him. Ever since this mission began, he's been behaving strangely. Why is he so insistent on carrying out a mission that has little to no tactical and strategic importance for Cardassia? Why is he so willing to provoke the Federation? _As Talek sat in his chair, Evek's eyes wandered away from him. _Perhaps there will be the opportunity to find out soon enough._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_Voyager _moved silkily through the Ocampa star system, skating back towards the planet and the Array. Captain Janeway glanced about her bridge crew – for the first time since the incident, the bridge was beginning to feel like it was well staffed once again. Tuvok had returned to his rightful place behind the tactical console and Ensign Rollins had moved over to operations in Ensign Kim's absence. Tom Paris, wearing a red command uniform devoid of any rank pips, sat at the conn. She was still missing a man at the engineering station – Joe Carey was far too busy to serve on the bridge – and the first officer's chair was a void that needed to be filled.

On the viewscreen, the Array steadily grew. Next to it Janeway saw Gul Evek's warship. The _Vetar _still looked pretty bad, but her running lights were lit again. Janeway waved up at Rollins. "Ensign Rollins, hail the _Vetar._"

Rollins stabbed his console, fiddling with the controls. Then the viewscreen lit up again and Janeway found herself looking into the _Vetar's _bridge. Gul Evek occupied the ship's captain's chair. Glancing about, Janeway found Evek's first officer, Glinn Talek. Looking at him, she scowled, remembering his antics on the Array, but was also relieved. _If they've recovered Talek, then they've probably got Harry and the Maquis officer as well._

"Captain Janeway, I trust your pursuit of the Maquis was successful?" Evek asked. Janeway nodded.

"The Maquis vessel was destroyed, but her crew was apprehended and is now safely stowed in our cargo bay," Janeway acknowledged. "Did you recover Mr. Kim along with Glinn Talek? There is also a missing Maquis officer, one B'Elanna Torres."

Evek nodded slowly. "Yes Captain, both your officer and the Maquis are being held in one of our crew quarters. The missing members of our crews were infected with some kind of genetic parasite, but my physician has managed to negate the ailment." Evek leaned back into his chair. "Now, Captain, are you prepared to turn over the Maquis captain and the Bajoran terrorist to me as your orders require?"

Janeway made a throat cutting hand gesture and Tuvok cut the audio. "Tuvok, send a security team down to cargo bay one. Get Commander Chakotay and Seska and bring them to the Bridge." Tuvok nodded, tapping his combadge. Once he was finished, Janeway glanced over at him. "Resume audio," she ordered.

Evek tilted his head. "Well, Captain?"

"Give me a second, Gul. Chakotay and Seska are on their way to the bridge and we'll discuss this matter with all those affected present," Janeway said. At the back of the Bridge, Andrews escorted the two Maquis from the turbolift. "Commander, Ms. Seska," she nodded to each of them as they came to stand with her in front of the Bridge.

"What do you want, Cardassian?" Seska spat at the viewer.

"You, actually," Evek said. "I currently have two people in my custody. One I believe you know, Mr. Chakotay. Her name is B'Elanna Torres. The other is a Starfleet ensign, straight out of the academy – one Harry Kim. Captain Janeway, I'm afraid I won't be able to return these individuals to you unless you hand the two prisoners over to my custody. Those were your orders."

Janeway's eyes narrowed. "I don't respond well to threats, Evek."

"It is not a threat. It is simply a fact. I will contact you again in five minutes, please have the prisoners ready for transport by that time. Evek out." The viewscreen blinked out.

Chakotay turned to Janeway. "Captain, you can't allow the Cardassians to hold B'Elanna. You have no idea what Cardassians do to their prisoners. They'll torture her for hours to get any information, not matter how small, and then kill her for their own sadistic pleasure," he said violently. "You _cannot _let her remain over there!"

Janeway's eyes narrowed. "Would you two join me in my Ready Room for a moment?" she said quietly. Then she led them over to the sliding door that led to her office. She held out her hand, preventing Tuvok from coming in as well, and then the door slid shut again. She spun to face Chakotay.

"Commander, don't you _ever _tell me what I do and do not know. I told you, I've _read _your file and you obviously don't have _mine. _I know _exactly _how Cardassians treat their prisoners, mister. Unlike _you, _I've _been _a Cardassian prisoner of war. I've _been _a victim and I don't need you to tell me what it's like to be one, _is that understood?"_ The rage in Janeway's eyes did not push her out of control, like it might have for other people. Instead, Chakotay could see the steel in Janeway hardening, her control firming. Hers was a cold rage.

Seska was the one to speak first. "Chakotay, I'll go," she said. "You know what they'll do to B'Elanna. She's my friend and I can't leave her over there with those bastards. You _know _what they'll do to her."

Janeway and Chakotay didn't look away from one another to glance at Seska. The battle of wills had been won, Janeway was victorious as usual, but now they were appraising each other. Chakotay's opinion of Janeway suddenly and completely changed. She was not the woman he had thought her to be – he had recognized her strong will, and had known that she had fought on the front lines, but that she had been a Cardassian prisoner…

Chakotay broke the contact. "You're right, Seska. And I won't leave an idealistic young Starfleet officer in their hands to pay for crimes that I committed. I won't have that on my conscience." He turned back to Janeway. The steel had gone again, as had the anger, and her sympathy had returned. "We will turn ourselves over to Evek, Captain."

Janeway nodded slowly. "You might not know me, Commander, but you are the man I thought you were." She rested her hand on his shoulder. "I hope you'll believe me now when I say I understand, Mr. Chakotay. I'll make you a promise – if there's anything I can do, anything at all, I will. You have my word."

Chakotay's lips pressed together in a thin line. "Thank you, Captain." Janeway's face softened and she squeezed Chakotay's shoulder slightly, then she led the way back out of her ready room.

"Mr. Rollins, get me Evek," Janeway ordered. The screen activated and Gul Evek's face appeared again. "Gul Evek, I accept your terms. We'll hand over Chakotay and Seska in exchange for the safe return of Mr. Kim and Ms. Torres."

"Your decision is appreciated, Captain," said Evek. "We will make the transfer immediately." The screen went dark once more. Janeway turned imperceptibly and glanced at Chakotay and Seska. _Ben Sisko said there comes a time when the price of peace is just too high. But how can we know? How can any of us ever know when that time has come? _Irrationally, Janeway thought that maybe right then she could feel the stain on her soul.

* * *

Chakotay and Seska materialized on the Cardassian transporter pad. Standing across from them were two men, Evek and Talek, and a small escort. As they dematerialized, Talek raised his phaser and pointed it at Seska. "I will take this one, sir," he said. He waved his phaser. "Get down off the pad," he ordered. Seska stalked down the steps until she stood eye to eye with Talek.

Seska opened her mouth. "My name is…" She was cut off as Talek violently backhanded her across the mouth. Chakotay moved forward to strike Talek, but two of the guards grabbed each of his arms and held him off.

Talek grinned down at Seska. "This will be interesting," he said. "Lets go." He reached down and grabbed Seska by the collar, heaving her down the hall. Evek glanced at Chakotay, struggling with the two guards.

"Hello, Commander," Evek said.

"What do you _want _with me?" Chakotay demanded. He ripped his arms free from the guards, who released him but stood close by in case he tried something. "I don't know anything that could possiblyhelp you."

"I know," said Evek. "Curious, that. I'm still not sure why our orders demanded your presence, although it does give me a chance to answer a few questions." He gestured to the two guards. "Take him to detention. Put him in the main cellblock. I'll be along to question him later."

* * *

Talek shoved Seska into a room – normal crew quarters. "Evek wanted the brig for Chakotay, so we're going to leave you here." He turned and gestured to the guards behind. "Leave us," he ordered. The guards glanced at one another, but followed the commands of their superior.

Seska wiped her bloody mouth with a sleeve. "You are a fool," she said. "Do you have any idea who I am?" She stood straight up. "I assure you, I am no Bajoran terrorist. My name is Seska, and I work for…"

"The Obsidian Order, yes I know," Talek said dryly, running a finger along the wall. Seska's mouth dropped open. "Don't be so surprised. As it turns you, _you're _the reason I'm here, stuck in this dismal quadrant with a crew of Guard incompetents, a crippled warship, and Starfleet looking over my shoulder." He smiled a toothy, sarcastic smile. "Thank you for that."

"But… but...?" Seska stammered.

"Oh, wipe that look of your face. As it turns out, you are the closest thing I have to a friend and vice versa." He leaned forward. "You are Seska, an Obsidian Order agent ordered to infiltrate the Bajoran underground and then the Maquis. Your mission was simply to gather intelligence and wait for an opportune moment to take advantage of that intelligence for the good of Cardassia. I was sent to give you new orders and bring you home."

Seska's usually unflappable composure returned. "I see. What were these orders?" she asked. She reached up and wiped her lip again, prodding it as the blood continued to stream from the cut there. "Did you have to hit me so hard?" she asked sarcastically.

"All Obsidian Order agents have been recalled. In less than six months, the Order will be in control of the Cardassian government. The Guard will be disbanded. The Central Command will be deposed. The Order is building a fleet of ships in the Orias system – those ships will be used to attack the Dominion and eliminate the leaders of the Dominion – the Founders – triggering an interstellar war. The Cardassian Guard and the Federation will be forced to respond when the Dominion comes streaming through the wormhole. The Dominion's forces will not live for very long due to their dependance on Ketracel White, but it will be long enough to do major damage to both the Guard and the Federation. After this has occurred, the Obsidian Order will strike first in Cardassia, eliminating the threat posed by the Guard."

Seska ignored the cut on her upper lip and sat heavily on the bunk. "The Order is planning to take over the government? All of Cardassia?" She shook her head in astonishment. "We've been waiting for this day for five hundred years… most of the Order had started to believe it would never come."

"The Dominion gave us this opportunity. We intend to seize it with both hands. Once the Guard is out of the way, we can return to the Cardassia of old – a Cardassia that was not afraid to fight the Federation, a Cardassia that had the will to hold Bajor… a Cardassia that can be proud again," Talek whispered forcefully. "The Obsidian Order is Cardassia and it always has been. It is time for the Order to rule." Talek leaned towards her. "We must return to Cardassia and take our place in the fleet. We must find our way back to the Alpha Quadrant and join our comrades in arms. _It is time._"

He stood and headed towards the door. "Keep quiet here for now," he said. "You will be most valuable if no one knows who you really are. Do nothing and wait for the proper time." Then he left.

As the Cardassian door slid shut he could hear Seska begin to laugh.

* * *

The heavy metal door slid shut. This room was dark – the few lights illuminated the fact that it was a holding cell. It was little more than a large metal box. The floor was covered in some kind of powder that was scorched along the floor. The walls were cold and grey.

Chakotay stood in the middle of the room, across from his enemy. Evek paced back and forth in front of the door, staring at him. Finally, Evek stopped. "Why did you join the Maquis, Commander Chakotay?" he asked.

Chakotay was silent for a long second. "You know why," he finally answered. There was no breeze, but his spine chilled as Evek looked away and began pacing again.

"Your family was killed on Dorvan V," Evek said. His voice echoed through the empty room. "I know this, and I know that you hold me and Cardassia responsible. What I don't understand is why." Evek stopped his pacing again and met Chakotay's ludicrous expression evenly. "Tell me why you blame me for the massacre, Commander."

Chakotay laughed incredulously. "Are you serious?" he asked. At Evek's unchanging expression, he breathed out heavily. "All right, Gul Evek. I blame you because you were the one who signed the treaty with the Federation that handed my world over to the Cardassians. I blame you because you were the one who negotiated with Jean-Luc Picard and reached the compromise that allowed them to remain on Dorvan even after this was done. I blame you because you were in command of the Cardassian units that were responsible for the demilitarized zone and it was Cardassians who murdered my family. I blame you because you claim that you were unaware of those events and punished the ones who were responsible. I blame you, Gul Evek, because their blood is on _your _hands." Chakotay heaved as he finished, breathing a little heavier. In his eyes, Evek saw the fire of hatred.

"I see." Evek resumed his pacing. He walked across the room and back. Again. A third time. He stopped and faced Chakotay again. "Reach down and touch the floor," he said.

Chakotay's eyes lost their fire, replaced by confusion. "What?"

"Reach down and touch the floor," Evek repeated. Chakotay remained standing, so Evek reached to his belt and pulled out his phaser, pointing it at Chakotay. "Touch the floor, Commander."

Chakotay shrugged slightly, then dropped to one knee. He ran his hand over the ground, feeling the dust that coated the ground. It was thick, heavy… but was merely dust. He looked up at Evek, who had resumed his pacing. He pushed off the ground and returned to his feet.

Evek walked across the room twice more as Chakotay watched. Evek did not look at him, but appeared to be deep in thought. Finally, Evek stopped once more. "Do you want to take revenge on the people who killed your family? Do you want to find them and kill them, to keep them from killing any other innocents?"

Chakotay was growing increasingly more confused. "That is why I joined the Maquis," he said. "I joined the Maquis for the same reason we all did – to keep the Cardassians from killing any other innocent people. To find the ones who had given us pain and make sure they could never inflict it on anyone else. And for justice."

Evek nodded. "I know, Commander," he said flatly. He paced across the room and then stopped. "Reach down and touch the floor," he said. They stared into each other's face, two blank, stoic facades that revealed nothing. Finally, Chakotay went back down to one knee. His hand caressed the dust that coated the floor. "I am afraid, Commander, that it will be quite impossible for you to take vengeance on the ones that killed your family," Evek said. He had resumed his pacing. "You see, they were here before you."

Evek spun and pointed his phaser at Chakotay. "Touch the floor, Commander. Know that those who killed your family have met the end that you desired them to. They met it _here_, in _this_ room, on _this_ ship. They stood where you are kneeling now." Evek walked forwards and knelt in front of Chakotay. "I negotiated that treaty in good faith, Commander. I meant every word I said. You see, you and I are not so different. I lost my family to you people. I lost my sons to the Federation in a meaningless battle over a meaningless world. But I did not lose myself to my hatred, Commander. I did not lose myself to my grief."

The two returned to standing positions, but Evek continued speaking, hands waving emphatically, his fingers stabbing down towards the ground. "That dust, Commander, is all that is left of the Cardassians who killed your family. They died as traitors to Cardassia, people who violated a treaty that _I _negotiated, a treaty that was to keep there from being further violence, a treaty that would make sure that my last son would not die as my others. I could have joined the Cardassian colonists who attacked Dorvan, Commander. I could have given in to my hatred for your people. But there was _too much to lose._"

"You are lost, Commander. Lost to your own hatred because you have stopped caring that your actions have repercussions beyond those that you see tomorrow. Do you know why I killed those Cardassian colonists? Because they believed, as you do, that their hated and their rights were more importantthan the rights of their _people. _They believed that they were fighting for a righteous cause, a cause for freedom, for liberty, but they had nothing in mind beyond their own selfish desire for vengeance. I had them executed for their betrayal and if Captain Janeway was a more prudent woman, she would have had _you_ shot as well."

Evek resumed his pacing. "You have nothing to say to me, Commander. It is not for me to judge your crimes, because your crimes are not against _me. _Your crimes are against Captain Janeway, against the Federation, because it is the Federation that will pay for the mistakes of the Maquis, just as it is the Cardassians who will pay for the mistakes of the colonists who murdered your world. Because, Commander, if we cannot see past our hatred, this struggle that seems so large, so all encompassing to you now, will be nothing more than a footnote in the history of the most terrible war that ever involved either of our peoples." Evek's voice had fallen to a low, violent hiss.

He stepped forward. "_I want my son to live, _Commander. I want my _people _to live. And I will do whatever it takes to reach that end." The heavy metal door slid open and Evek walked in between the two doors. Over his shoulder, he took the parting shot. "Captain Janeway understands. Perhaps now, you do as well."

Behind him, Chakotay sank to the floor, heart pounding in his chest.

* * *

Evek stormed out of the brig, breathing heavily. He wasn't quite sure why he had felt obligated to clear the air with Chakotay – for all his words, in some ways he did feel responsible for the massacre of the Dorvan colony. He had negotiated the settlement that kept them on that world, and while he had brought the ones responsible to justice, he had failed to uphold his end of the bargain.

It was incredible, he reflected, that the massacre had occurred so soon after the meetings on Dorvan. The treaty had been signed in early 2370 and the destruction of the Dorvan colony had taken place only months after the treaty had been signed. One of the reasons that the Maquis had responded so aggressively after it had taken place was the timing – it seemed too convenient, and many in the Federation had been convinced it was a deliberate act of war. In fact, some accused Evek himself of gathering intelligence on the planet in order to make the attack the most effective, even while the treaty was being written. He had not, of course. His crew was loyal to him, and he wanted nothing more than to prevent another war.

His clinking boots stopped as he pulled up short outside of the bridge. _Wait. There's something else here and all the pieces are beginning to fall into place. Could it be possible? _Evek thought of Chakotay and the timing of the Dorvan assault. He thought of their mission to capture the Bajoran terrorist and the Maquis captain – the mission that made no sense. He thought of the channels those orders had come through, the people who had most emphatically supported them, and the recent actions of his crew.

Evek's clanged through the halls, back in the direction from which he had come. Coming upon the door he sought, he hit the panel and overrode the security and he marched inside. From one of the chairs opposite him, Talek rose to greet him. "Gul Evek, what can I do for you?"

Evek strode over, noting the face-down Cardassian datapads that lay on the table. Talek took a step forwards, an innocuous expression on his face, and Evek slammed him across the jaw with a fist. Talek went down hard, bouncing off the table. He came back to his feet and stared upwards into the barrel of Evek's phaser. "I'm still not sure why you wanted Chakotay and Seska, but the Guard certainly doesn't. Any Guard member would see our mission as a secondary priority at best, and you've been insistent that we fulfill it as quickly as possible. That was the first piece," Evek said. "Then was the fact that the orders didn't come from the normal Cardassian Guard channels, but instead came through the Central Command itself. That was odd, but not too unusual, but the facts just keep adding up."

Talek rose slowly to his feet, sneering. "Then you went and the first thing you did was hustle the Bajoran woman off to her own cell, but not until after you punched her in the face to shut her up," Evek continued. "Why she is so important, I don't know, but _you _do. Which means either you have security clearance above mine, which you do not, or…"

Talek smiled. "Or I don't work for the Cardassian Guard." He straightened out his breastplate, fingering the emblem of the Guard in the center. Finally, he reached in and plucked it off his uniform, tossing it down to the ground. "Maybe some of us aren't cowards, like you. Some of us aren't afraid of war, Evek. Some of us would like a chance to seize our pride back from the Federation because we lost it in the last war. The _Guard _lost it. Your _sons _lost it."

Evek's hand shook, but he held the phaser steady on Talek. "I have just one question for you," he whispered in a rage. "Did you spy on Dorvan's defenses while I was negotiating peace? Did you give that information to the colonists who carried out that attack? The colonists I had youexecute after Dorvan was destroyed?"

Talek laughed. "I'll have to increase your intelligence rating in your Obsidian Order file," he said. Evek's eyes closed slowly, in pain. Talek started forwards to assault him, but Evek pulled the trigger instinctively. Talek fell limp on the deck.

"I should kill you," Evek murmured. "But I think Commander Chakotay would like that privilege." He exited the room, closing the door and locking the Glinn in his quarters. He slowly returned to his bridge.

Talarn glanced up as he entered. "Sir, where's Glinn Talek?" he asked.

"Talek is… indisposed," Evek said. He collapsed into the captain's chair, mindlessly tapping a computer console. A small red light flashed on the console and Evek sorted through the data. On the viewscreen, an image of a small, light brown vessel appeared. Evek grimaced. "The Kazon," he muttered. He glanced at Talarn. "Get me Janeway. We have much to discuss."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

B'Elanna paced on _Voyager's _bridge. Harry had taken up behind what she now assumed was his normal post – the operations station. Behind tactical was her "comrade," Tuvok, and at the helm was her other "comrade," Tom Paris. _It's "I'm a Maquis traitor" day on this ship, _she thought bitterly.

She wasn't happy. Trading Chakotay and Seska for Harry and herself was not something she approved of, but it was something she would have expected from her captain. Finally, she stooped down and sat reluctantly at the darkened engineering station. Janeway had told her to sit there and just wait, but she had deactivated the terminal to make sure there would be no problems.

Harry looked unbelievably happy, she noted. This was where he belonged, and B'Elanna felt envious – she had no place she belonged, especially now that the _Liberty _was gone. Harry glanced down at the captain's chair. "Captain, I've detected two unidentified vessels on an intercept course with the _Vetar,_" Harry reported. "Evek is hailing."

"Onscreen, Mr. Kim," Janeway said. Janeway was happy to have Harry back behind operations, not too worse for wear. She'd been worried about the green ensign and was very contented to know that his Cardassian experience had not been quite as uncomfortable as her own had been.

Evek popped onto the viewer. "Captain Janeway, we're being approached by two vessels that belong to the Kazon – you remember the Caretaker mentioned them when we met with him on the Array?" Janeway nodded, waiting for Evek to continue. "They're mercenaries of some kind, I believe. From my encounter with them on the surface of Ocampa, I believe they prey on vessels that the Caretaker strands here in order to steal their technology and are very intent on exploiting the Ocampa."

Janeway's eyes narrowed. "I see. What do you suggest?"

Evek leaned back into his chair. "They're not here yet. We should make our way over to the Array and determine if there's any way to return to the Alpha Quadrant – that is our primary objective at this point, yes?"

Janeway nodded. "If the Kazon attempt to engage the _Vetar, Voyager _will assist. I'm leaving my tactical officer in command. I'll meet you on the Array, Evek. Janeway out." She gestured to Tuvok and he cut the channel. "Tuvok, you have the bridge. I'm going over to the Array." At Tuvok's arched eyebrow, Janeway glowered at him. "Alone, Lieutenant. We don't have time to worry about this and you're the best person to take care of the ship. Evek and I will be fine." Tuvok nodded uncomfortably.

Janeway strode into the turbolift. "Keep the Kazon off our backs. I'll be back as soon as I have a plan," she said. "Deck 4, Transporter Room," Janeway ordered as the lift doors slid shut.

* * *

Evek and Janeway materialized in what was certainly another illusion. The holodeck was working again, apparently, and they stood in the middle of a nuclear wasteland. Buildings crumbled from side to side, dust and debris coating everything and giant clouds of smoke and ash clouding the skies. "Pleasant," Evek said wryly.

Janeway gestured with her hand. Ahead of them was a building that was intact, and they each grappled with the doors and walked in. Paper flyers were scattered over the floor and the place was full with stale air. They progressed down the corridor, a long and straight hallway like the one Janeway and Paris had walked through. The white paint was chipped and falling, accumulating next to the wall.

The reached the end of the corridor and Evek reached in, hoisting the door open. They walked stiffly into the conference room. Janeway walked slowly over to the shattered window overlooking the city. The conference table was in place, and Evek walked up beside her to look out over the destruction.

"Impressive, isn't it," a voice said from behind them. "It's not too unlike what the surface of Ocampa looks like now, after the mistake my people made. And it's what their underground civilization will look like in the near future, if something is not done." Janeway and Evek turned. The Caretaker – complete with his old suit and solid black cane – was leaning heavily to his side, watching them. He sighed. "Sit down," he said.

Janeway and Evek returned to the seats they had occupied during their abbreviated negotiations earlier, both of them content to let the Caretaker explain for now. "A long time ago, my people made a mistake. We had no idea our efforts would do so much damage to the planet that rotates below us, but the damage had been done – I was selected to remain behind and care for those we had damned to certain destruction." He rested his hands on the table limply. "But I am dying, and my quest to find a replacement has been futile. No being in this universe is compatible with me and so the Ocampa will die at the hands of the Kazon after I am gone."

Janeway spoke. "Sometimes, in order to fulfill our potential, we need to be faced with a situation where it is a matter of life and death. Perhaps the Ocampa will not fare as you fear. Perhaps they will find a way to flourish again, as they did before your arrival."

The Caretaker barked a short, bitter laugh. "That might have been true, if not for your arrival," he said. Janeway and Evek exchanged a glance. "The Ocampa could survive without me here to care for them," he said. "The Kazon will fight them at every turn, seeking to exploit them and prevent them from reaching the stars for no reason other than their own bitterness and pride. Still, were it just the Kazon and the Ocampa, I might hold out some hope that the Ocampa would live. But when I die, the Kazon will occupy this facility and with it, they will destroy the Ocampa."

The Caretaker smiled bitterly. "You see, when you destroyed these cities – when you created _that," _he pointed out the window as the devastation, "You destroyed this station's self-destruct system. You destroyed the only means I had to keep this facility out of the hands of the Kazon. So when I die, the Ocampa will die with me."

"Can we destroy the Array for you," asked Janeway. "Save the Ocampa from their destruction?" She turned to Evek. "We caused this, Evek. Whether or not we meant to, we did. It is our responsibility to keep others from paying for our mistakes."

"It is our responsibility to get home to be with our people," Evek countered.

The Caretaker smiled. "And therein lies the dilemma, my young friends. There is enough power on this station to send you home… but you cannot both return home _and _save the Ocampa. You must choose – correct the mistake you made in your last visit to save a people you have never met, or send yourselves home and condemn them to death." He nodded at each of them, his voice growing slower and then turned to focus on Evek. "I know what she will do," he said laboriously. "I know what the other of your kind would do. But I do not know what you will do."

The simulation shattered, the conference room evaporating as it had in the explosion that punctured their last visit. They again stood in the sterile blue room, and before them was a massive, metamorphic rock. It spoke one last time. "It is in your hands to choose now. Your convenience… or their lives. You cannot… have both." The voice slowed to a ponderous pace, and the rock shrunk slowly, melting down until it rapidly devolved into a simple rock that lay on the flat floor. Janeway inched forwards, kneeling down to lift the remains of the Caretaker.

She looked up at Evek. "I will not condemn the Ocampa, Evek. I cannot. We did not ask to be involved… but we are. We are." She stood.

Evek eyed her sideways but Janeway's communicator interrupted. _"Captain Janeway, the Kazon have engaged us. The tactical situation is dire – the Kazon have received reinforcement, a warship that is considerably more massive and more heavily armed than Voyager."_ Tuvok's voice floated from her combadge and in the background Janeway could hear sounds of battle.

Janeway stared at Evek. He looked back dispassionately. "We must return to our ships. This discussion can wait." Evek tapped his communicator. "Evek to _Vetar. _When it is convenient, drop your shields and bring me aboard," he ordered. Janeway watched somberly as Evek vanished back to his ship.

"So much for having a plan," Janeway said with a shake of her head.

* * *

Kes glanced around as she glided through the corridors. The _Vetar _had lost much of her crew and sneaking about without encountering anyone was pretty easy. She could feel the ship jolt under her feet and knew that the Kazon had arrived and that a battle was underway, but she was in no position to do anything about it.

She slipped into a room with a flat metal floor. In front of her, there was a large door. Prodding the control panel, the door slid open and inside she saw a man sitting on the floor, his back pressed up against the wall. She walked in and sat down beside him. "Hi," she said.

He looked over at her. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Kes, an Ocampa from the planet below," she said. "Gul Evek rescued me from the Kazon. I was looking for Neelix, but I guess he's not in here." She looked him over. "Who are you?"

"Chakotay," he said. The ship shuddered, the hull plating in the walls around them rattling. "What's going on?"

"We're fighting the Kazon," Kes said quietly. Chakotay looked at her questioningly, and she explained. "They're from another star system – they came to my world to try to exploit my people. They take advantage of ships that are brought here, like yours, attacking them to steal foreign technology." She sighed. "The Caretaker protects my people, but I'm not sure how much longer that will be true."

Chakotay looked over at her. "You were looking for this Neelix… why are you here speaking with me?"

Kes smiled. "You looked like you needed a friend. There are many people aboard this ship that could use a friend. Parmak is harsh, bitter about some old wound or crime against him. Talarn tries to be strong and does his best to follow Evek, but he's scared and you'll see it if you look hard enough. He is a lot like Harry, I think. B'Elanna was consumed by a rage she had stopped trying to control. Talek… I'm not sure he's ever had a friend. Then there's Evek, who has always tried to do what he saw to be in the best interests of his people, even if they didn't want him to… and you. You long for peace, a peace you have never known and have given up any hope of ever finding." Kes rested her hand on his shoulder, and Chakotay suddenly had a flashback of Captain Janeway, making the same gesture before he was sent over to Evek. "Don't give up hope."

Chakotay eyed her. "How do you know so much?" he asked. Kes shrugged.

The outer doors opened and there were heavy footsteps into the room outside of the cell, then a shadow appeared between the two cell doors. Chakotay recognized the weight of the steps and worked himself back up to his feet. Evek stood in the doorway, taking in the two of them. Finally, he looked away from Kes and at Chakotay. "I need your help," he said.

Chakotay raised his eyebrows. Evek continued. "Most of my crew is dead and we are no match for the Kazon. If we lose, they will kill us, and _Voyager_, and then finally, the Ocampa," he said. "I need someone to help crew the bridge."

Chakotay looked down at Kes. He didn't know if Evek was telling the truth, but something about this conversation screamed that he was. His instincts said to trust him. Even if Evek was lying, what did he have to lose? Kes smiled up at him. _I have devoted my life to protecting the weak from the strong, _Chakotay thought. _Now her people are the weak, and the Kazon are the strong. _He turned back to Evek. "All right," he said. "What do you need?"

* * *

Evek told Kes where Neelix was being held, then he and Chakotay rushed to the _Vetar's _bridge. Chakotay slipped behind the helm, running his hands over the Cardassian controls. _It's amazing, _he thought, _how suddenly everything can change. _

The _Vetar _was still badly damaged, but she was combat capable. Evek manned the weapons console, Talarn worked to keep the ship moving, and Chakotay worked the helm. There were three Kazon vessels out there – two small ones that weren't overly dangerous, and one large one that was pounding _Voyager _with a flurry of energy weapons.

"I'm going to try to take some of the heat off of _Voyager,_" Chakotay exclaimed from the helm. The _Vetar _swerved to the side, slightly off kilter, and leveled out pointing her main phaser bank at the Kazon warship. It blasted out a phaser blast that scorched the Kazon vessel but did no appreciable damage. Evek fired again, this time penetrating the shields. Still, the Kazon vessel continued to hammer _Voyager._

The two other Kazon vessels skated over the _Vetar's _hull, punching through the ship's shields. The _Vetar _shuddered, small explosions punching through her outer hull and atmosphere vented to space. Talarn cursed from his station. "Gul, shields are almost gone! We're venting atmosphere and I can't seal the hull breaches. If we take too much more of this, we'll lose the ship!"

Evek pressed another button on his panel and a phaser blast licked out from the _Vetar _to smash one of the small Kazon vessels aside. Then he turned to Talarn. "Hail _Voyager. _Tell Janeway we're abandoning the ship and that she needs to lower her shields to get us out. Tell her we'll put the _Vetar _in between _Voyager _and the Kazon to absorb the damage. Then go and get everyone to the transporter room, prisoners and all. Understood?" Talarn nodded, sending the signal and then rushing from the room to follow his instructions. Evek kept working the tactical panel until the ship's phasers went offline, then he moved down to the helm. "Move," he ordered. Chakotay glanced up at him, then got out of the helm. Evek took his place. "Get out!" Evek yelled.

Chakotay's face adopted a disbelieving look. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

Evek took a few seconds to turn and glare at Chakotay. "Get off my ship," he growled. Behind them both, one of the stations burst into flame as the ship was struck by more Kazon weapons. Chakotay, deciding that now was not the time for an argument, ran in the direction Talarn had gone.

* * *

Seska pried open the panel that kept the door to Talek's quarter's locked, overriding the controls. She slipped inside as the door opened, moving to grab Talek's stunned body. "I am not letting you die," she muttered. "You're the only advantage I've got."

Talek stirred. "How did you get out of your cell?" he groaned.

Seska laughed. "If I couldn't break out of a room I'd be a poor resistance fighter, a bad Maquis, and a truly terrible Obsidian Order agent," she said mockingly. "Now, wake up! We're evacuating and I can't be the one to carry _you _off the ship. What possible reason could I have for saving your life?"

Talek nodded, fumbling in his pockets. He pulled out a small hypospray and injected himself. "Stimulant," he said as awareness returned. Seska looked at him scornfully with a raised eyebrow. "You're right," Talek said. "I have to be the one to get you out, not the other way around." Moving quickly, he chopped the side of her head, knocking her into unconsciousness, then lifted her up into his arms. _If I'm lucky, Evek won't have told anyone that I'm an Obsidian Order plant._

Talek joined a crowd of people in the ship's transporter room. Glancing about, he saw Chakotay with Kes and Neelix. He walked over and deposited Seska into Chakotay's arms. "I believe this is yours," he said scornfully. Ignoring Chakotay's infuriated glare, he moved over to Talarn, who nodded in deference. "All right," Talek said. "Let's begin transport." He waved at Talarn. "You go first, Gil," he said.

Talarn and two others stood on the pad and Talek ran his hands over the controls, beaming them to _Voyager._ The Federation ship's transporters began to help the process, and several more people dematerialized – the Maquis crewmen were the first to disappear.

* * *

Janeway turned to Harry. "How many are left over there?" she demanded. Talarn had slipped onto the bridge and was now standing near Harry at operations as they both worked to get the Cardassians off the dying _Vetar. _

"Just four more, Captain," said Harry. "Transport complete. We've got all but one. Waiting for Evek's signal." Janeway nodded as the _Vetar _veered off of her previous heading, changing course to collide with the Kazon behemoth.

"Get Evek out of there, Mr. Kim," Janeway ordered.

"Working on it… Captain! The _Vetar _has raised her shields! I can't get a lock on Evek!"

"What? Hail him!" Janeway exclaimed.

"I've got him, Captain. Audio only." On the side of the bridge, two more people entered – Glinn Talek and Chakotay. Talek stood at the rail that ran along the top of the bridge, while Chakotay walked down to the Engineering station to see B'Elanna.

"Gul Evek, this is Captain Janeway. Lower your shields so we can get you out of there," Janeway barked.

"_The _Vetar's _structural integrity is failing, Captain," _said Evek over the com. _"If I lower my shields again, the Kazon will destroy the _Vetar _before she rams the Kazon vessel and I'll be damned if I let Maje Jabin have the last laugh." _They all heard him laugh. _"This wasn't exactly what I planned, but it seems I have no options left."_

"Evek, drop your shields! We'll figure another way out of this."

_"Captain, you told me you were going to destroy the Array to save the Ocampa. If that Kazon vessel isn't destroyed, you won't be able to do that. If it's not destroyed, you wouldn't even be able to send any of us home. I don't know what I would have chosen to do, but it seems the choice is no longer mine to make."_

"Evek!"

_"I'm not doing this for you, or for the Ocampa. I'm doing it for Cardassia.They might not understand today, but someday I hope they will." _Evek's voice quieted, a strange silence that stretched for several seconds. Then Evek spoke again. _"Captain, I forgive you. For my sons."_

Janeway's hands fell to her sides. _There's nothing I can do. _"Gul… I'm sorry. And I forgive you, as well."

_"I'm afraid I can't accept your pardon, Captain. You have no idea what you just tried to forgive. But I appreciate the sentiment."_ Evek paused. _"Captain, I put my crew in your hands. I trust you to get them home, someday. When you do, find Veroz and tell him I said goodbye." _The link went dead. Janeway turned and looked from Talek to Talarn. Talek wore a look of grim determination, while Talarn just watched, eyes wide, as the _Vetar _pushed her engines past the red line.


	9. Chapter 9

**Act Three**

_Carry on! You will always remember  
Carry on! Nothing equals the splendor  
Now your life's no longer empty  
Surely heaven waits for you:_

**Chapter Nine**

Gul Evek had decided to return to the Alpha Quadrant.

It was his sworn, solemn duty to do whatever he could, whatever he must, to protect Cardassia Prime. He liked Kes and sympathized with the plight of the Ocampa, but in the end, it was none of his concern. It was the cost of being a captain, to do things that he felt were wrong in the quest to protect his people.

That choice had been taken from him when the Kazon behemoth started pounding the two ships. The _Vetar _and _Voyager _couldn't defeat that monstrosity, he knew, and his ship was finally going to meet its end, so there was no way to get home.

They were not going to get home. Thus Evek reached out and embraced his sympathies and took the actions that he would have to not only to save his crew, but also to save Kes' people. But he did not do it for their sake.

He had spent the last two years of his life fighting people like Talek. Ambitious, too proud to admit weakness, too stubborn to admit defeat. Talek had created this situation when he blew up the holodeck and damaged the Array. He had given the Kazon a chance to annihilate a people who had done them no wrong. The Kazon too, were like Talek – ambitious, prideful, spiteful…

The _Vetar _began to disintegrate under a forceful barrage from the Kazon ship, and Evek reflected on his final action. He was sworn to always do what would be best for Cardassia – and now, that was to set an example that his people would never see. Men like Talek and the Kazon had to be opposed because with them came destruction – destruction that had nearly engulfed his world because of his people's own misplaced ambition.

He hoped that the Cardassia he had left behind would learn this lesson and keep men from Talek from destroying all that he had worked for. Most of all, he hoped his son would learn these lessons even without the example his father had tried to set. Peace was the future of Cardassia, Evek knew. Because if it was not, Cardassia had no future.

The forward ridge of the _Vetar _struck the Kazon vessel and crumbled inwards. Pressing forwards, the crumpled bow of the ship pressed into the side. The metal hulls of both ships bent under the strain, the _Vetar _pressing forwards into the Kazon ship. The thrust punctured the Kazon hull and the _Vetar _punched into the hull, pressing forwards, the ridges slicing through the plating. The tail of the ship wagged outwards, trembling as the engines screamed against the resistance. Then they overloaded, the _Vetar's _engine core incinerating the engine room, the aft hull, the _Vetar, _and then finally the Kazon behemoth. The wrath of the explosion reached out and plucked the Kazon vessel from existence, scattering the remains down into Ocampa's atmosphere.

* * *

Janeway watched from her bridge as the explosion slowly burned itself out, the glowing embers of the two ships fading into obscurity. Then she turned back to Tuvok. "Prepare two tricobalt devices, Mr. Tuvok, and target the Array."

B'Elanna jumped up. "Wait, what! That's our only way home!" She turned to Chakotay, a furious look on her face. "Who is _she _to be making this decision for all of us?" she demanded.

Janeway turned to Chakotay and they locked eyes. He evaluated her once again. _She's been the captive and the captor. The soldier, the diplomat, the scientist, the commander. She's been right and she's been wrong. She's been the led, and she's been the leader. _He saw in her the same cold steel and pure will that he'd already begun to associate with her, and this time he knew what it cost her to make the decisions she's made.

In her gaze, he read the question clearly. _Evek gave me his crew to get them home. Will you give me yours? Will you put your faith in me?_ Chakotay grabbed B'Elanna's arm. _If there's anyone out there who can hold us together, anyone who can get us all home, it's her._

"She's the captain," he said. _She's the captain._

Janeway's head inclined imperceptibly, acknowledging the responsibility he had just placed on her shoulders. Then she turned back and took a second to glance at Talek, but he didn't meet her look. Finally she nodded to Tuvok. "Fire."

On the viewer, the Array was struck by a pair of tricobalt charges. Three seconds later, the explosion had scattered an infinite number of tiny particles throughout the surrounding space – there was nothing of the Array left that was larger than a millimeter. Captain Janeway closed her eyes and sank into the captain's chair.

On the viewscreen, Maje Jabin's face popped up. He glared at Janeway. "I'm not sure who you are, or why you helped those others, but I can tell you that you have made an enemy today," he said.

* * *

"I think it's a terrible idea."

"Do you have an alternative?"

"You know I don't." Chakotay sighed. "The Cardassians will never agree to wear Starfleet uniforms. Many of the Maquis won't want to either, so we might have to scrap that."

"Look, Chakotay, I've got three crews on this ship. Each one has a legitimate reason to hate the others. I've got to integrate the crews as best I can – make us all dependant on each other to survive, if I've even got a chance of making this all work." Janeway reclined into the chair in her ready room. "If Evek was here, I'd trust him to keep the Cardassians in line as best he could. But he's dead and I don't trust Talek. I don't trust him at all."

"Well, what have you got so far?" he asked.

"The obvious positions. You're going to be first officer – Talek can whine about it all he likes, I'm not going to change that. I said I'd put the people who were the best ones for the job in the jobs and I will. Doctor Parmak is going to be our primary physician, but I suspect the EMH is going to be active more often than not – Parmak isn't exactly an expert on human physiology. Neelix and Kes have asked to remain on board and Kes has requested to be assigned to Sickbay, so there's our medical staff. Neelix wants to cook and we need some way to conserve energy so that works too – we'll be the first Federation ship to have a galley in a long time. The problem is I don't know what to do with Talek or Talarn or most of the rest of the Cardassians." Janeway sighed. "And Talek isn't making my life easy."

Chakotay had stopped paying close attention about halfway through. He was staring out the viewport, looking at the stars. Janeway stopped speaking and looked at him for a long minute, and then she came over. "What is it?"

Chakotay winced. "When I joined the Maquis I was so sure of myself and my cause. My recent events – you, Evek, all that's happened – have made me really question why I did what I did. Evek accused me of being lost to my hatred and rage." He glanced at Janeway. "You and Evek had both lost, perhaps not as greatly as I did, but you both suffered."

Janeway smiled sadly. "Tell me about your father," she said quietly.

Chakotay looked up. "Why?"

"Because that's the first step towards healing, Chakotay. Talking about it. You bottled it up inside and went off to fight for what you believed in, but you never faced the pain and the loss. You covered it up with rage – against Starfleet, against Cardassia. Some of it was justified, but not all."

"If I tell you about my father," Chakotay asked. "Will you tell me about how you overcame your hate after your capture?" He smiled and Janeway looked at him evenly, then she nodded. "All right, Captain. But I'm afraid I'll have to start at the beginning – on Dorvan, when I was a boy…"

* * *

"What do we know?" Talek sat across the darkened room from Seska.

"Janeway is doing her best to integrate the crews. She knows the Cardassians will never agree to wear Starfleet uniforms, so she's settling for the combadge for now. The Maquis have agreed to wear something a bit more formal, but not the full uniform. I'm not sure what Chakotay is going to do," Seska answered. "She's made Chakotay first officer and you're going to be second officer, third in command and captain during night shift." Talek shrugged.

"A position of high authority. It'll give us access to most of the ship," Talek said.

Seska nodded. "Yes. Parmak and this ship's holographic doctor are going to be the ship's medical staff. Talarn is going to work on the bridge at the science station for now, although Janeway's considering moving him to engineering. Janeway still wants to put Carey in charge down there, but it'll be B'Elanna in the end – she did say the best one for the job would get the job."

"Fine."

"The first thing we need to do is begin gathering allies and planting divisions. There are all kinds of options – since I'm a 'Bajoran' I can rally Gerron and even the Starfleet Bajoran officer to the anti-Cardassian cause. Ken Dalby hates Cardassians with a passion that you wouldn't believe, and…" Seska grinned. "Lon Suder is psychotic. It's only a matter of time before he goes off one someone and when it happens we can definitely seize that opportunity." Seska laughed. "Poor Janeway, trying to form a coalition when two of the leaders of the other sides are actively working to oppose her."

"What else?"

"We need to contact the Kazon somehow. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, remember."

Talek nodded. "A sound idea. Well, it's a start." Talek's face suddenly contorted into rage. "That _idiot _Evek! I can't believe he stranded us out here! Back home the Order is about to make their _move _and take it all back and we're stuck seventy thousand lightyears away from it all." He picked up a vase on the table and almost threw it across the room, but restrained himself at the last second. "_Damn _it."

"Don't worry." Seska smiled. "We're Obsidian Order agents, Talek. We're the best there is." She laughed again. "Janeway doesn't stand a chance."

* * *

Captain Janeway met everyone on the bridge as _Voyager _prepared to set out from Ocampa on course back to the Alpha Quadrant. "On Earth there is a saying," Janeway started. "Necessity is the mother of invention. Out here, we are alone. One ship with a crew of less than two hundred, in the middle of the largest stretch of unexplored space left in the galaxy. In the Alpha Quadrant, we might be enemies. But we all know that if we are to survive out here, if we have any chance at returning to our homes and our families, we cannot be. That luxury has been lost to us – we no longer have the luxury of holding on to our hate, our fear, and our rage. We must let all of that go, because if we do not, if we let our old animosities control our actions, they will destroy us."

"It will be hard, I know. I understand how each of you feels, whether or not you believe that I do. But if we can do this, if we can find a way to live together, to work together in common cause for the good of all of us, then there is hope for those of us we left behind. There is hope that there will not be another war, that the fighting and killing will stop. I know, in each of you, that is what you wish. You don't want our comrades back home to find themselves fighting with one another. If we cannot do it, how can they?"

"We are one crew. _Voyager's _crew. I don't know the shape or form it will end up taking, but we _will _stand united, together, to reach out and find our way back to our own stars." Janeway walked up to the helm and rested her hand on Paris' shoulder. "We must carry on, all of us, and remember all that we have lost – and all that we have to gain. Set a course, Mr. Paris. For home."


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

In the end, there was war.

The Maquis were eradicated. Thousands of them died fighting, many others running. A few dozen survived and were incarcerated by the Federation. Those who were captured by the Cardassians and Dominion were killed after gruesome interrogation sessions. The colonies they protected were destroyed, civilians murdered, cities annihilated. There was nothing left to protect, and no one left to do the protecting. All they had fought for was lost, one spark among many that stoked the fires to come. The Federation protested, the Cardassians disregarded, and the Jem'Hadar exterminated.

The Federation was victorious, but it was a pyrrhic victory. The war itself had not gone well, despite the outcome. Dozens of Federation worlds had been occupied and brutalized. A hundred starships – the entire Seventh Fleet – had been destroyed in a single engagement. Two hundred more were lost in the operation to retake Deep Space Nine. Three hundred were slaughtered at the Second Battle of Chin'toka. That was just the beginning. The war had been won, but the cost had been more horrible than anyone could have ever imagined.

And the Cardassians…

* * *

For the first time since the war had begun, he returned to his house. Like many Cardassian homes, it had held many generations of his family. He pushed in the door and walked through. The sunlight did not abate – the house now had two walls, not four. The roof was gone, blown apart by blasts that came from orbit. The stained glass that had adorned the house was scattered over the floors.

He trudged up to the second floor, testing the stairs on each step as he rose. The floor held his weight, but he was not sure it would for much longer. Exploring what was left of his family house, he came upon an aberration – one of the windows had survived. His grandmother had been an artist – she crafted such things and had been well known for her skills. Many of the shattered windows had been her work, but this one defied logic and was intact.

He leaned his shoulder against the wall adjacent to the colored glass. He stared through the window to look out on the city. Flames still licked the buildings, reaching skywards, and there would be no one to put them out – eventually they would extinguish themselves when there was nothing left to burn. The smoke snaked up into the sky, mingling with clouds of black ash that muted the bright Cardassian sun.

That ash contained the city, he reflected. It contained what was left of the buildings, the monuments… the people. It danced in the sky, all that was left of that which had made Cardassia proud. Debris that had been the Cardassian fleet fell from orbit, leaving burning streaks of flame in the blackened sky.

His parents were dead. His brothers were dead. His aunts, his uncles, his cousins, his nieces, his nephews… the house was empty. His family was carried by the wind, scattered over the burned-out shell of a planet that was Cardassia Prime. Nor had they died alone – eight hundred million Cardassians had died in the waning hours of the war.

_Eight hundred million_. They had reached up with a united hand to grasp the stars and the arm had been severed at the shoulder.

Looking through the glass into the ashen sky, he swore the sun dimmed further as the dust swirled around, carried by the somber wind. Gul Veroz Evek, Cardassian Guard, Fourth Order, the last of his line, rested his head against his grandmother's window and wept.

_Carry on my wayward son…_


End file.
